Growing Up

My friend Smart Blonde and I had a really good conversation today. Somehow or other we emerged from our late teens/early twenties as sober, non-slutty women. In other words, we grew up. God put me together with A, and now we are married with two boys. Smart Blonde has had a rough time romantically, but is getting close to finishing her PhD, has a great job, and a wonderful boyfriend. In other words, God has seen us through. We have both returned to our faith and our church lives. It was great to talk to my friend, who is also one of my former drinking buddies, with whom I was such an idiot, so often, and realize that we made it. We came out the other side, and now we have stability, as well as the reassurance that we are loved by our Lord, and He has forgiven us for every indiscretion. How powerful is that? And then He gave us really great lives, instead of herpes. Thank You Lord!

I can say thank you to Him, because I know how easily I could have stayed in that life. And bad things can so easily happen when you are in the bar hopping lifestyle. While I still have friends who are there, I don't really talk to them all that often. I am certain this is because there is a distinct lack of booze to be had around my kids. And let's face it, you can't really talk about bar drama in front of someone's babies either. Or you can, but then they tell you to stop, and it gets awkward, and you have to go home and have a drink.

And here's the challenge with having non-churchy friends who have known you forever. Okay, my challenge. I have to make sure to just love them, pray for them, and never ever get self righteous, while being unapologetic about my faith. Because they knew me back in the day, and were right there beside me while I was sinning up a storm. So how do I handle it? Well, up until I talked to Smart Blonde today, I really was avoiding talking to a couple of our mutual friends. I need to stop that, and call them, and see how they are. I can witness to them without preaching. I can just share how happy I am, and talk about how much I enjoy being back in church. I can do that, and I am going to pray that God guides my words. I can also let them back into my life, and tell them funny M and G stories, because they are my friends, and that's what you do.