Thankful for New Friends and Answered Prayers

Last winter was a very lonely one for me. I was semi-new to the area (having lived here for almost a year and a half).  I realize now that I should have spent more time in my first year making new friends, but I guess I was just too busy with getting the new house in order, having more kids, and clay rosaries to take time for friends.  I am thankful for a couple friends I had at the time, but I saw them so rarely, it still felt like I was all alone.   At one point, one of the only friends I had, asked me to have a party for her business. I gave in to her pleas and agreed.  It nearly caused me to go into depression because the more I thought about this party, the more I realized I didn't have anyone to invite. I finally had to call her back crying and apologizing for being such a pathetic loser (as far a friends go!).

I prayed to God for friends since we started moving about five years ago. We lived in California for two and half lonely years until we moved to Colorado and just when I was starting to make friends, we had to move again for my husband's new job.  The job was a blessing, but moving took a toll on me.  When we lived in Maryland, I met some very wonderful moms, but then again, we had to move into a house of our own and leave the budding friendships I had started.  I felt my prayers were never really answered and I started obsessing about how I was all alone.  Of course, I had my family here, and my family in Minnesota to call and the occasion calls for college friends, but this was not enough.  I need community in my area.  The more I thought about how everyone else had friends, but me, the more I started to get down on myself for being "too this", or "too that", or "maybe not enough"...it was making me sad all the time.   So last winter, I finally gave it all up to God.  I told him I would stop wining about friends, and just put my worries in his hands. It was now up to HIM to find me friends and if they never came, I would offer this up too.

During this time, I realized that friends would not drop from the sky and I needed to start inviting people over.  It made me feel like the biggest dork to email someone I had barely known from mom's group or where ever and ask if they wanted to hang out!  It must have been the grace of God that I was given the courage to step way out of my comfort zone, but the more I did it, the easier it became to do it again.

During this time, another woman was also praying for friends. I met her randomly in line at a book signing.  We exchanged numbers and have now have a budding friendship.  While at my house, she shared her prayer for friends was only a few days before we exchanged numbers. I thought, wow, God answered your prayer quicker than mine!

This friend introduced me to another family who had just moved to the area and my husband's nonexistent prayer for friends was answered.  I think God answered a prayer of his deep in his heart because that new friendship has made him so happy.

Now I am blessed with almost more budding friendships last spring and this summer than my schedule allows and my heart is full.  Making time for friends, I have learned, needs to be a priority (not the highest priority, but still a priority).   I've so much enjoyed time spent this summer with all my new friends and have God to thank for his faithfulness.

A few of my friends also have blogs! Here is Heidi's blog, and here is Ginny's, where you will find me today (I'm sure you know her already!) , here is Mary's, and here's Lori's. 

I also have a funny story about how I met Ginny who does the yarn alongs.  While reading various blogs, I kept running into these yarn alongs.  Having no interest in yarn or knitting, I never stopped to check it out.  One day, I clicked on the link, just for curiosity and found a women who I know from church and who was good friends with other women I knew- Ginny!  I emailed her and probably sounded like a stalker, but she reciprocated with such kindness, I knew this one was a keeper :-) I've so enjoyed getting to know her and her sweet family.