When Push Comes to Shove

When I first moved to DFW in 2000, I was in search of opening a new chapter in my life. I was a year out of college and longing for some single Christian friends. And the Lord delivered in a big way. I started attending Fellowship Church and got plugged into the singles ministry, where I met a solid group of people who I hung out with on a regular basis.

But out of that group emerged a particular friend that God wove into my life in a unique way. Oddly enough, we initially got off to a rocky start, mainly because we were reluctant to befriend one another since we had a crush on the same guy. Girls involved in drama, go figure.

But God had other ideas.Through a strange set off circumstances, she was forced into giving me a ride home. And somehow the 15 minute ride evolved into spending the night at my apartment eating chips and sharing our life stories into the wee hours of the morning.

Both our crushes on "the guy" faded quickly, but the friendship never did.

One of my favorite memories happened on our girl's trip to Hawaii. We were both very much at a time in our lives where God was releasing us from our fears and bringing us into a deeper relationship of faith. She somehow managed to convince me that jumping off a very high cliff overlooking the water would be a great way for us to embrace this transformation. And it seemed so profoundly believable.

Until I was on top of the cliff.

She held my hand and sang songs of encouragement until I finally broke the news that I just could not go through with it. And then she did what any true friend would do.

She pushed me off.

Now, as cruel as that may sound, it is precisely what I love about Yanci. She is the friend in my life who is full of encouraging words and deeply loyal, but when push comes to shove, she will hold my feet to the fire. She pushes me to be better and to go further than any limit I set for myself. And most importantly, she allows me to hold her to the same standard.

We began our friendship as single women, witnessed each other falling in love, and were bridesmaids in each other's weddings. I have seen her evolve from a struggling Christian, fresh off her reign as Miss Texas, into an amazing woman of faith, who leads thousands in praise and worship every weekend at our church.

And this past year I have watched her take-on her most rewarding/challenging role yet.... Mommy. And I must say that, it has taken us into an even deeper level of friendship and understanding.

So, this weekend while attending her son, Sterling's, first birthday party, I thought about how much we have grown in the last 7 years and even wondered what God has in store for us in the future. Come what may, I know we will have each other to lean on.

And I take great comfort in that as long as we aren't standing on any cliffs.


My Yanci and precious birthday boy, Sterling