The Click

While reading Stumbling Into Grace by Lisa Harper I had to smile when I read that she has a group of friends she calls cousins. I too have a group of friends. We call ourselves the click. But let me point out that, even though we love sharing times together where it's just us, none of us is the type of person to isolate others from being around us. We all love people. We all have other friends, and we are friendly to those we encounter at church and otherwise. On occasion I may be a bit shy about speaking to people I don't know, but I am working on that. Anyway, the term "click" was sort of pinned on us by another person. We thought it was funny so we just continued calling ourselves that.

After facing a significant loss Lisa came to realize how much she needed her group of friends. In the book she writes:

"Individual friends didn't have enough hands to help me gather up all the broken pieces. If I tried to lean on just one person during the painful season, I probably would have flattened her. I needed a cohesive posse of prayers and compassion. I needed the Christian version of AA or Cheers-a place where everybody knew my name and my junk."

Reading that reminded me of how unique each of my click friends are. They each bring something different to the table. But you know, we all have common bonds as well. When I think of Genia I know that she is a woman of the word. She speaks the truth in love and can at times give you a good dose of "suck it up" if you need it. She leans toward mercy and compassion when dealing with teens and less mature believers. And she has a fabulous humor. She keeps me (or should I say us) laughing. Now Debbie is one of the wisest women I know. She has learned how to control her tongue more so than me, so I find that quite inspiring. Don't get me wrong though. Debbie can speak out bold and strong when she has to. She doesn't fudge on things concerning the word, and she will speak up for the rights of others when they are treated unfairly, especially her family. Her speech is always tempered with mercy and grace. She reminds me of the Proverbs 31 woman. I've always said that if I needed someone to sympathize and offer me a shoulder to cry on it would have to be Maria. She will listen no matter how whiny a person is. She knows how to weave in some encouragement, but you never leave her feeling like you've been scolded for your meltdown. She kind of reminds me of a grandma. You know, they spoil you and love on you and let you get away with stuff your parents wouldn't let you get away with. But then they always know how to persuade you to see it like your parents do. I suppose that is why she makes such a good grandmother. And last, but certainly not least, we have Sister Diane. She is French Canadian and she keeps me laughing. Diane is quite blunt, but every word she speaks is motivated by love. She wants to see us grow and mature in the faith, and speaks the word every chance she gets. You never have to guess what is on her mind. Diane is also a prayer warrior. I know that she would pray no matter what time of day or night. She's a rock I can lean on. I said she keeps me laughing, and often her humorous side stems from a language barrier. We (the click) have pretty much learned what she means when she says things in her own unique way. But it's still funny sometimes. Outwardly Diane may appear to be stern, but she has a heart of gold.

I have been blessed with a special group of friends, and there are days when I wonder how I fit into that picture. All I know is, I'm glad God connected me with this very special group of ladies. My life has never been the same since. They are more than just a casual friend. They are counselors, advisers, teachers, and sometimes comediennes. All together they are my click.