Covenant Loyalty

Today, I said farewell to one of my best friends. I’ve known for over a year now that she would be moving, but I didn’t know exactly when. My head knew she was moving, but my heart just hadn’t chose to accept it. Our friendship is one of divine intervention. About 5 years ago, I began to pray for God to send me a Christian friend, around my age with children, and who lives close by. God answered that prayer with not just one friend, but several. I am so blessed by the way God has answered my pleas for friendship! I don’t actually remember meeting Krissy. I know that sounds odd, but it just seems that she as always been a part of my life once I began attending our local church. I do however remember feeling intimidated by her striking beauty and her legs that seem to go on forever. (I can appreciate a good pair of legs since mine are short). My friend is a 6-foot-tall bombshell full of love and compassion. In fact I have never, ever, ever met anyone so full of compassion, love, and understanding. Once you here her testimony of how God got a hold of her life you’ll understand. Earlier this Summer I began studying the book of Ruth. While studying Ruth I researched the word “kindness” when Naomi said to Ruth “May the Lord show kindness to you as you have shown to me.” -Ruth 1:8 According to Kelly Minter in the bible study Ruth: Love, Loss, and Legacy page 20, “the word kindness was translated from the Hebrew word hesed meaning all the positive attributes about God-love, grace, kindness, goodness, benevolence, loyalty, covenant faithfulness. Hesed is a quality that moves a person to act for the benefit of another without respect to the advantage it might bring to the one who expresses it” My friend Krissy, is full of such kindness…hesed. She is one of those rare people who can strike up a conversation with anyone about anything. Whether you look like you just stepped off of Wall Street or the homeless shelter, she has a heart for you. Within minutes you will find her hand on your shoulder, encouraging you and perhaps even offering to pray for you right there on the spot. She is the real deal and you can not help but walk away from Krissy feeling encouraged.

I am going to miss her! After all, she is the one who introduced me to the phrase “Stinkin’ Thinkin”. She has been my cheerleader and prayer warrior and friend. I am going to miss her vivacious personality! Only Krissy can pull off wearing a Wonder Woman costume to a bowling event. Her mission: to encourage a special church member, Lee who wanted to dress as Super Man. Only Krissy, would ….Oh I could go on an on with stories. But I’ve committed to not crying anymore. I love the saying: “A friend is someone who knows all about you and loves you anyways.” I am blessed to have such a friendship, not just with Krissy but a few others as well. It is comforting to know that I can call up a friend and simply say one word and they know (without me having to give background detail) what I’m struggling with.

Another author quoted by Kelly Minter states that hesed represents God’s covenant relationship with Israel….despite Israel’s waywardness, God (Yahweh in Hebrew) stood steadfastly beside Israel in a ‘covenant loyalty.‘”

The fact that she “gets me” and chooses to still be my friend is simply amazing. I am a mess and I say the wrong thing at the wrong time. I am a stereotypically type-A, first born. (I know, I’ve read the book). And yet….she loves me anyways…screw ups and all.

I sit back on my heels and think. If my friendship is an example of a covenant loyalty divinely appointed by the Divine. I can only imagine how much more my God in heaven loves me and “gets me” in all my Stinkin’ Thinkin’ ways to send Jesus for my screw ups. Rather than being upset, I am choosing to be thankful for our time together. I know that our friendship was divinely appointed…and so is our future.

Krissy, “May the Lord show you kindness as you have shown to me”. Ruth 1:8

I love you! April