I never thought I’d be her friend. Not because I didn’t want to, but because our circumstances would hinder us. We were definitely from different sides of the streets.
Stepping in to the world of the inner city was a shock to this blue-eyed white girl. My south Texas accent stuck out like a sore thumb as mostly Spanish is spoke there.
But I was excited to be there.
The evening came for me to lead the first Bible study. I was scared. I wanted to panic. But I put on my big girl panties and obeyed what the Lord has spoken to my heart.
The room filled up. I looked at them. They looked at me.
I wondered how lasting friendships and bonds could be formed through our differences.
A few minutes into the study one women pipes up, “Ma’am, I don’t know what this season of life is that you keep referring to.” My heart stopped. How do you explain season of life? Was that a suburban girl term? Had I already lost the moment to connect with this girl?
With shaky knees I continued teaching. Midway through the lesson the same girl raises her hand, “Ma’am, I don’t know this King David you speak of?” My heart cried.
I cried because I had become so accustomed to my suburban Christian way of life that I spoke and taught with out considering there were many who were not brought up on Bible stories. As I explained David, I just knew I had messed-up a precious moment to connect. I knew enough to know that if I didn’t connect, I’d miss priceless opportunities to make a difference.
As class finished. My inner thoughts were going crazy just as you can image. I wanted to linger and get to know them more, but yet I wanted to run feeling like a failure. Most of the girls had left so I began to pick up my belongings when this same girl approached me. She had a serious look about her.
I wasn’t sure what to think.
She didn’t seem mad, but definitely looked perplexed. “Ma’am, I don’t trust you.”
Those words cut to the core, but why should she trust me. Why should anyone trust me? I told her that was a normal reaction and I hoped she’d keep coming back.
She wanted to trust me, but that she didn’t know what that looked like.
I assured her that I would speak nothing but truth and I felt certain that ONE day she would trust me, if she’d just keep showing up.
Two years later, I receive a phone call late in the evening. “Friend, I have a favor to ask. You are the only person I trust. I have money in my hand and I need you to come take it or I’m heading to the crack house.”
That was the phone call that confirmed to me that a friendship was born and trust was secured.
Friendship is such a precious thing, but I think so often we miss incredible relationships because the differences in each of us scare us off.
I’m beyond blessed to have this women call me friend today.
Do you have a friendship where the two of you are so different? How did y’all meet?
Awesome story of how God uses us… then blesses us! Found you on Five Minute Friday :)
Beautiful and very touching story with a wonderful lesson for all of us to learn…Thank you for sharing!
I learned so much through that one friend. She is such a blessing! Aren’t all friends though?
Friendship is such a precious thing, but I think so often we miss incredible relationships because the differences in each of us scare us off.
I could not agree more… this post was beautiful. I plan to link to it this weekend, because we all need to read this. Lovely, so glad I hopped over from 5MF, although I have been silently lurking on your blog for months now :)
Glad you commented this time to let me know you were here!! I think differences scare us off and we miss so many blessings that way. That’s what the ebook I wrote with a homeless man was all about. Check it out in Amazon. Graffiti – scribbles from different sides of the street. Thanks for sharing. Give me a heads up when you link so I can give it a shout.
Those differences between friends are beautiful…they give me chances to step out of my box to experience and learn new things. :) Love this post, friend. Blessings!
I don’t have a friend where we are different, but what a blessing it must be! this is a gorgeous story!
Awesome post.
Wow. Alene, I am tearing up over here. This is beautiful and so powerful! Thank you for sharing!
I can not tell you how much your honest stories inspire me! My life is better for having met you!! Please keep sharing!!
Wow. This was quite the story. I don’t have that dramatic of a difference in friendships, however my best friend that I met a few years ago is an atheist and I am a Christian. We had everything in common (so much alike and even have the same name) that I figured she was a Christian too. It turned out she is opposite of me there. We are different in both political and religious beliefs, but it does not hinder us at all surprisingly. I think that as long as people are willing to be accept differences and respect each other, great friendships can abound -regardless of how different we are.
I am so ashamed to admit that I don’t have any close friendships that are from different backgrounds from me. I also have to admit that it is fear and maybe even a lack of trust that keeps that wall there. Thank you for the inspiration to begin to knock down the wall one brick at a time.