An Ebeneezer

Today my friend Katherine brought her tiny new son, Peter, to church for the first time. I met her in the lobby as I headed to the moms' and babies' room with Graham, and we walked in together to feed our boys. Within moments of our arrival, my friend Jess also entered with her new baby boy, Henry.

I had anticipated this moment for months, but it still caught me by surprise. Fresh realization of God's faithfulness washed over me like a warm wave, and I had to laugh for joy.

Twelve years ago, Jessica, Katherine and I were students at James Madison University. We were good friends, but we were young, immature, and babes in our faith. There was a lot of encouragement and strength and growth that came out of our early years of friendship. There was also a lot of strife. Looking back on those times, it's hard to believe that I still get to know and love these beautiful women. It's hard to believe that we survived those early squabbles and tensions and struggles at all, let alone that we have walked together through singleness, courtships, weddings, marriages, pregnancies, and childrearing. The fact that all three of us gave birth to baby boys this year and that we now get to spend Sunday mornings together nursing and rocking and diapering them (and maybe trying to catch a few words of the sermon)... well, it's almost surreal.

I had to ask if we could take a picture together, and I post it here as an Ebeneezer, a "stone of help," a reminder of how good God has been and how far He has brought us. To You be the glory, Lord, and may I have many more years with these dear friends!

(l to r: Graham, me, Peter, Katherine, Jess and Henry)