Breathe. Sip. It’s time for a heart-to-heart conversation about dreaded “F” word. Yep…friendship! According to Greek philosopher Aristotle, “Friendship is as important as life itself.” Do you view your friendships this way? Why or why not? In the book of Genesis, chapter one, we see the value that God places on relationship. We see God’s magnificent handiwork in the creation of our universe and planet Earth. He then created humanity as His magnum opus, making man and woman in His image.

He created man first. But Adam is alone. As a matter of fact, we see Adam’s loneliness was the only thing that God said was not good. So He created Eve, the giver of life. What a loving and caring God. Connection, intimacy, and community matter to Him. We were made by God to relate to Him first and then to one another. Eve became Adam’s friend, wife, confidant, and helper-completer. Adam was no longer alone. He had a friend who could give life and one whom he could do life with!

God Elohim, our mighty creator, designed women for relationships. This is a special gift we see expressed through scripture with women such Mary and Elizabeth and Naomi and Ruth. These Remarkable Women built remarkable connections in their friendships that led to life-changing collaborations. What makes them remarkable is the way God marked their lives.

Every Remarkable Woman needs other Remarkable Women in their lives. A Remarkable Woman is a woman who over time develops remarkable resilience. She chooses to rise above her challenges with a commitment to lead well. Because she has learned to rest in God, she builds beyond her breaking points, and courageously faces adversity with His power as her strength, His Word as her guide and activates a fruitful life of impact that is worthy of the remark!

The challenges in life teach you that you were not made to fly solo. Take a cue from God’s creation through ducks. These animals fly together in a “V” formation as they migrate seasonally. This helps them to conserve energy individually as they live together in community.

We are better with Forever Faithful Friends.

People in the Christian faith sometimes say, “As long as I got Jesus, I don’t need nobody else.” This statement goes against God’s plan for us. Jesus, Himself, lived in community with people. He modeled relationships with His disciples, three of which were His closest friends. If Jesus desired relationships, how much more should we?

I am grateful we have Jesus and God’s Word encouraging our friendships.  Proverbs 18:24 reminds us there is a friend who sticks closer than any brother and we can feel God’s presence through the power of the Holy Spirit. I am eternally thankful that our loving God is intimately acquainted with us and knows we need connection with friends. He knows we need Forever Faithful Friends, like the type of friendship spoken about in Proverbs 17:17.

Personally, I have been blessed with an amazing group of women whose friendship has been life-giving! They stood with me and believed with me during many seasons of life. Their love is unconditional, even when I have not been lovable. And they allowed me to do the same for them. I am truly The Remarkable Woman I am today because of them.

We are better together with Forever Faithful Friends. What about you? What challenges are you facing at the moment? Look around. Who has God provided in your life to demonstrate this kind of Forever Faithfulness as a Friend? Rest in Him and trust the remarkable life He is building in your life through friendships. Don’t fly solo! Choose to lead well by intentionally staying connected with those Remarkable Women!
By the way, how’s that cup of tea? Time for me to take another sip. I am so grateful that we’ll enjoy more cups this fall as we continue our journey becoming The Remarkable Woman and finding our Forever Faithful Friends. Until next time sip, shine and live your best remarkable life!