The Mundane Faithfulness community asked for stories from their readers about how a friend just showed up for them. While I'm not facing suffering like Kara did, I've had some hard through our recent adoptions, just as I'm sure you've had hard with something in your days. Sometimes life just IS hard. As I thought about the friendships in my life, one in particular kept coming to mind, one whose presence and practical help shouts of true friendship.
After living in Indiana for twenty-eight years, a job change necessitated a move to Cincinnati. I was pretty devastated over the move. Cindy was among the first friends I made in our new state, and I immediately sensed a kindred spirit.
When our family adopted two little girls from China in 2013, Cindy was supportive through the process and one that I could trust with my true feelings.
Five months after the girls came home Cindy knew the additions to our family, sweet as they are, were hard. They were still attempting to learn the English language and get used to being in a family. The huge event of a wedding upset their schedule and honestly freaked them out. I was running on empty myself. After witnessing one of the girls have a total meltdown in the parking lot after the rehearsal dinner, Cindy came to my home and helped me get them to bed while my husband finished up at the church.
The next day Cindy and her husband David walked into the wedding reception and asked, "What can we do?" then proceeded to serve dinner to the guests all evening! They stayed on and helped with clean up until late into the night. Her heroics didn't stop there. In a classic case of VERY bad timing, our social worker was due to come a few days later for a required post placement visit -- and as one who has the "do it yourself" type of weddings, my house was in shambles. Cindy showed up on Monday, ready to work again. I was exhausted, (she must have been also) but her smiling face at the door and a warm hug soon helped motivate me to get moving. She worked like a maid all day.
This is a post from my Facebook page two days after the wedding: "Another thousand thank you's to Cindy Z. who has been my right hand (wo)man during this wedding. Not only did her family help with the kids during the rehearsal, pre-wedding (including bringing snacks that I'm sure kept some of my daughters from dying) serving during the entire reception, AND cleaning up, packing up, driving stuff home PLUS helping me to put the Little Princesses to bed late that night. She showed up here again today and helped me clean this place so the social worker can come tomorrow and not repossess my kids! LOL! Thank you, Cindy. You have demonstrated friendship to the extreme!"
When we returned to China to adopt again the following spring, Cindy moved into my house covering days that my adult kids couldn't, so the little girls could sleep in their own beds and have someone they knew well to stay with them while my husband and I were out of the country. Who does that?
This kind of friend, one who I know I can be myself with, who doesn't care if my house is a mess because she is there to see ME not a showcase, one who senses the need without being asked and shows up to help with the practical nitty gritty of life, this type of friend is such a treasure. I'm so very thankful for her!
