Girl's Night

We eat dinner in a hurry, and while I rinse dishes at the sink I glance at the clock.  It is almost time.  I gather up my knitting bag, sometimes a bible, sometimes a snack or a drink, kiss the husband and kids and head out the back door.  Everyone knows what night it is.  Everyone knows where I'm going.

For the past 7 years this has been our weekly rhythm, one of the few things left unchanged as the years go by.  Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Wednesday nights see me slip out of the house solo, making my way to a different sort of family.

We have changed locations over the years, from Mel's little home to Libby's apartment, to Mel's new place and now Libby's sweet little home.  There is no set plan for the evening. Sometimes we go out for coffee.  Sometimes we watch movies.  Sometimes we just talk and talk and talk until someone realizes it is way past midnight.  We knit, crotchet, sew, or just sit there and enjoy doing nothing at all.

It is our night to just be us, friends, shedding the Mama and Wife labels and just being us girls.  Of course little babies are always welcome to be snuggled and loved on, passed around the room so everyone gets a turn to admire our precious little bundles.

We talk of relationships, parenting, finances, stress, school, faith and our favorite TV shows.  We celebrate birthdays.  We tease each other.  We argue.  We disagree. We laugh so much.

These are people who have known me through it all - every step and misstep.  They see all of me, wholly flawed and accident prone, and welcome me in week after week after week.  This is true community.

1 John 1:7 says

⁷But if we are living and walking in the Light, as He is in the Light, we have [true,unbroken] fellowship with one another.
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What does Community look like in your life?  Do you have a community of friends that means the world to you?  Are you looking for one and don't know where to start?  Consider joining the community at (in)Courage.