A Tribute to My BFF
A Tribute to My BFF
No matter how hard your life may seem, if you have been privileged to have a circle of friends alongside you – you are BLESSED beyond measure. There are many girlfriends in my life that I truly, truly cherish. I am so thankful for the opportunity to do life with each one. However, today I would like to post a tribute to my BFF.
You see, in 1978, I met a girl who moved to our small town in Mississippi from Texas. She walked into my English class and sat behind me. I had no idea that God had just walked a gift for me into that room. That strange girl, who did not talk like me, nor act like me, nor come from the same background as me, would soon become my very best friend. I wish I knew what brought us together – why we bonded so quickly. I don’t. What I do know is that although she is older than me, we established a bond that became unbreakable. Matter of fact, we often laugh and say – “You know way too much about me to stop being best friends now.” (I had to throw the age thing in. Growing up she would rub it in my face that she was older. She would celebrate it even though our birthdays were only two weeks apart. Hmmm…the tables have now turned and it is my turn to celebrate.)
As I scroll through the past 36 years of my life there are so many memories of me and my best friend. We have eaten gallons of onion dip, bushels of potato chips, and made Taco Bell a household name. We have disco skated what seems like a million miles, rode around our town until we were out of gas and worn our blue and orange with pride. We have survived car wrecks, visits to the principal’s office and girl drama. We have stood beside each other in weddings; held each other’s newborn babies; and talked through parenting woes. Although we now live 1,000 miles apart, we still pray together, encourage one another, and make sacrifices to see each other several times a year. We share our children – loving each other’s as our own. We laugh hysterically together and share our sorrows. No one knows me the way she does. No one. And in spite of all she knows – she loves me.
As I share this tribute to my BFF…let me tell you a little about her…
- She shares my joys and my sorrows. I don’t mean that she is sympathetic. No. I mean that she is empathetic - she shares my emotions. It makes her happy to see me rejoice and she truly celebrates with me. She also feels my pain and hurts when I hurt. I remember a time in my life when I was truly suffering emotionally. I was broken and laid in the floor and sobbed. She lay in the floor and sobbed right alongside me. A true friend.
- She is my #1 fan. She cheers my successes and supports my ventures. She stands the longest and applauds the loudest. Despite what anyone else believes, she thinks I am awesome! She sometimes takes it too far and can totally embarrass me. I remember visiting her a few years ago and going with her to her children’s school. She would stop person after person and introduce me as if I were a big deal. Seriously! Her introduction was OVER THE TOP. She would even yell across the parking lot to someone far away, “Hey, this is my best friend! She’s visiting from Mississippi. You’ve got to meet her!” I was mortified. You know they were thinking, “So?” We had to have a talk about that one. But, bless her heart, it is priceless to be loved with that depth of love.
- She is 100% trustworthy. I completely and totally trust her. She always has my best interest at heart. She would never divulge a secret or manipulate a situation. (Well…maybe a little when she is trying to get more jewelry or fun gifts from me and my jewelry business.) She has stood beside me through thick and thin. No matter what, she has my back. Even when I have made mistakes, she has stood firm…right by my side! She loves Jesus, so I can trust her advice to be sound and biblical – pointing me in the right direction. She is a true and loyal friend.
- She loves me unconditionally. Unconditionally is such a sweet word. That means she loves me no matter what. No matter what. No matter what! I am free to be ME with her. She never takes offense to what I say…because she truly knows my heart. She never judges. She never places expectations on me. She never criticizes or condemns. She accepts me – even with all my flaws, all my weaknesses, all my mistakes, all my failures – she accepts me.
Thank you for allowing me to share a tribute to my BFF, Marla Cavazos Weeks. It has been a SWEET 36 years with Marla in my life. I love her to pieces and want her to know, “If you live another 50 years – I hope I live 50 years minus one day – so I never have to be without YOU! Thank you, my sweet friend for just being YOU!”
The above is a depiction of what a sacrificial love looks like. We all want that in our life. We all crave it! We long to have someone who will share our joys and our sorrows; that will be our biggest fan and our support system. We need someone who is totally trustworthy and will love us unconditionally. Do you know we can all have that to a higher degree than we can even imagine? Even if you don’t have a Marla – you can have a friend, a very best friend, a friend who loves deeper than described above - in Jesus.
The Bible tells us in scripture after scripture about a love that far surpasses our human friendships. Can you imagine the love our Lord has for us? Jesus gave His life for us. In John 15: 13-15 He says:
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things have I heard from My Father I have made known to you.”
Pop Culture has given our Best Friends the title BFF. But Jesus is our Ultimate Best Friend. He loves us and bears our burdens. The Bible tells us that He loves us with an everlasting love and laid down His life for you and for me. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He loves us with agape love – true, real, unconditional, everlasting LOVE! He wants our time. He wants our love. He wants a relationship – a true and real relationship – with us.
"I would love for you to subscribe to this Blog. Just click on the Subscribe tab and follow the directions. Thanks for being my friend!"