Coffee Chat

"When we consider the blessings of God—the gifts that add beauty and joy to our lives, that enable us to keep going through stretches of boredom and even suffering—friendship is very near the top." —Donald W. McCullough, Mastering Personal Growth

Friendships matter: they have been a blessing in my life. Friends, far or near, help us to get through difficult seasons of life. They are also there to celebrate with us when we're in a happy season. Friendship makes the fabric of life so blessed.
Yesterday as I sat on my kitchen table and drank coffee with a friend, I felt like the weight of my worries fell off for a little while. This simple act of getting together was so powerful. I put myself out there and texted: "Hey, would you come over for coffee?" She said yes and my day was instantly better.
It started as a day filled with stress and anxiety but I chose to empty those monsters of their powers by simply having a Coffee Chat. It turns out that when you focus on other people, your problems won't disappear but the goodness inside of you will grown.
Before my friend and her kids arrived I tried to clean. It seemed like my little ones were messing up everything I was cleaning so I waited until most of them went to sleep to clean up a little bit more. I knew Coffee Chat was not going to be perfect but it was going to be joyous.
I still had time in my hands and I thought about the pumpkin puree I had in the pantry. I decided to bake pumpkin bread and send it to my husband's office. This was another intentional way of thinking about others so that stress and anxiety would not win. I felt good about finishing that baking project and making it over the top by adding some extra calories to it. I remember appreciating any homemade goodness that showed up at our office 5 years ago.
I know that God is with me and He's taking care of my worries. I also know that I am only human and while I take stuff to God in prayer I tend to pick it back up.
It is during those times that I need to remember to invite a friend over, turn on the coffee pot and just chat.
We both felt refreshed. All the kids had a lot of fun. No one noticed the messy places in the house but the peace and joy I had was evident.
• Today I want to challenge you to get your phone out and reach out to a friend. You don't need to be by yourself when you are stressed. Friendship is a blessing and I believe that God designed it so that we can reap the benefits of it in every season of life.