Lately, I've been feeling pretty lonely. My days are filled with homework, housework and lots of free time. I am so grateful that Jordan's work allows for me to concentrate on school, travel with him and visit family rather than being tied down to a job. But often, I feel lonely without the daily love and support that comes with having good friends close by. But being away from family and old friends so early in our marriage has been great for our relationship. Don't get me wrong, I love my entire family and savor every moment I get with them when we have the luxury of visiting Illinois or when they visit us in Florida. And nothing can replace old friends who have made major impacts on our lives. But the distance between us and what we know as "comfortable" has created a different kind of bond between the two of us. Having family so far away has forced me to rely solely on my husband to provide the love and comfort my family and friends once did. Our relationship has grown much deeper and intimate these past few months as the two of us adjusted to military life together and a brand new life away from everything we once knew. I am so grateful that God brought us to this base and blessed Jordan with a job that allows us to live the way we do. Each day, I see a new piece of His plan for us here and our future together.
Being away from friends has also brought me closer in my relationship with Jesus. Whenever I have felt lonely with Jordan away at work and no Florida friends to speak of, I would talk to God and tell Him how much my heart ached to feel so lonely here. I knew the answer was to first find comfort and peace in my relationship with Him. I continued to be honest in my prayers to God, asking for the right friendhsips to reveal themselves. I knew that if I sought God and found the cure for my lonliness in Him, He would bless me with friendships that would challenege and grow my faith.
Weeks turned into months and I did not see even a glimmer of hope for friendship. But my prayers continued and I began to pray that I would be an encouraging friend when God brought the right girls along. I prayed for God to change my materialistic heart into a content one that embraced every blessing in my life. A few weeks after I changed my prayer to be in His timing, I was invited to hang out with some military wives. I was so excited to meet some girls my age who understood military life. I had a blast getting to know some of them, but the close relationship I was hoping for just wasn't there. I still stay in touch with a few of them and enjoy hanging out with them when we get together. But I had a feeling that God was going to bring around a different friendship for me. It was hard believing that as I watched these girls share the friendship I so desperately wanted for myself.
That same week, a girl responded to a post I made on Patrick's Facebook page expressing the same desire to meet some Air Force wives who live in the area. We messaged back and forth about ourselves a bit, then made plans to have lunch the following week.
After meeting Caitlin, I was blown away at how perfectly God works when we share with Him the desires of our heart. The two of us couldn't stop sharing how much we had in common and how desperately we were seeking a good friendship. I knew God had orchestrated our meeting as Caitlin opened up about her relationship with Him, her thoughts on religion and all the questions she held.
I am so excited to see where God takes our friendship. I know both of us are having a blast getting to know each other more and having a girl friend to share all the things our husbands try so desperately to understand. God provides the desires of our hearts when we first acknowlege that He is the only one who can fulfill every desire of our heart.
More to come,
Mallory
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