Our Friendship Testimony
Starla and Tina
My best friend and I are what some have and could call an Oil and Water friendship combination. Both of us are strong independent women. Both of us are vocal and unwilling to be silenced by fear. We are opposites in many ways. We did drive each other crazy for many years trying to figure each other out. BUT GOD..He had a plan for us. He taught us about unconditional love, forgiveness and loyalty through the trials of being friends with one another. Just because its not an easy match doesn't mean its not God connecting you to someone. We are a testimony to that. Tina said once "If you are friends with people just like you, what will you learn??" She is right!! As to this opposites thing..we often look at things from different view points, not seeing the perspective of the other. Over the years the Lord has taught us that we do have common vision, we only get there from different avenues.
So, back to oil and water. Oil if left alone will gel up and get solid – isolated and hardhearted. Water if left alone will stagnate and start to stink – going through the motions and nit picky/moody.
I bet you are wondering which one of us is oil and which on is water?? LOL
When you put the two together -oil and water- they stay separated and can be ill-affected by one another but if you add soap -a cleansing agent -CHRIST-then oil and water with soap/Christ can go right along in the river of life together!! Never underestimate the treasure within another!! Never underestimate what God can do with two hearts that are submitted to Him. He has used us to teach each other, get under each others skin, to show each other the gold we didn't know we had inside. He used us to put each other in our place, to humble us, to rebuke us, and encourage us in Him. He created a friendship that is uncommon, and odd to others at times.We know, It has been tested, and tried heavily in many ways.
For 10 years we knew deep within that we were "something" to one another. We weren't sure what that something was but over the years through the agents of pride and anger, mistrust and fear we did a two-step dance with each other. Sometimes leaving the dance floor altogether for months at a time and at one time a year of separation. In those times of separation we grew closer to Christ who used our experiences of conflict to prune us, shape us, strengthen us then re-unite us again. This cycle repeated itself many times but through it all we became willing to be honest that as friends we simply loved each other with a uncommon love in Christ and that our struggles with each other was residue from our pasts and our flesh which warred with one another and within ourselves. The closer to Christ and truth, openness and vulnerability we got then the closer we got to one another.
This friendship was built of the foundation that Christ was our building connection. Not only did He put us in the same family by marriage but He put us together in His family. Our hearts cry is to serve Him. To teach others how to be released from fear through relationships. That is what He did for us through each other!
I love my best friend. She has taught me, encouraged me and been the sandpaper I have needed in my life. Without her I really wouldn't be the women I am. I was stuck as a scared little girl who had so much to give but was afraid to stand in the light and SHINE. She helped me get unstuck. I wouldn't change all the crazy conflict two stepping for a thousand other relationships.
Personal Testimony coming soon.....
