Since moving to Orlando back in July of 2009, Anthony and I have struggled making friends. It isn't because we can't, but because we live in a college community where people are constantly moving away. Many of the friends we have made in the past few years have eventually moved back home after finishing school.
Before moving to Orlando, we were used to close knit friendships. Anthony and I had many friends in the military so we always had something going on on the weekends. Our friendships in Miami were really strong and even if one of us was busy we always had something to do or someone to spend time with. I was used to spending endless amounts of time with friends laughing or having get togethers or pool parties or going to the beach. We have been spoiled by great friends, seriously. We have been blessed with amazing people in our lives who were always there supporting us.
You can imagine how difficult it was moving to a new city and leaving all of our friends behind. It was a difficult transition for me, that's for sure. Making friends isn't hard for me, but making friends that we can open up to is extremely difficult. We lived in Orlando for 5 months before I hung out with someone outside of college, Lauren and Amy, and it wasn't until February of 2010 that I reunited with an old friend Lyndsay who lived in the area. My first trip to Africa in March 2010 allowed me to make my first batch of Summit friends who I became extremely close with due to our experience, but since that time they have moved back home or moved away. Through that Africa trip, I also became very close to Kimberly Drake, but the fact that she is a mom and I am not made it difficult for me to "hang out" with her, thankfully, I am able to confide in her. Nick and Lyndsay and Lauren and Purkey have been our closest friends since we moved to Orlando. They have been a great support system and incredible friends, but life gets crazy and only having 2 couples as friends was still hard because they each have their lives to attend.
In December of last year, I went through a really rough time in my life. I had a miscarriage, although it was unplanned, it was extremely hard for me to deal. I remember when it happened, Lyndsay was there to console me, but I just didn't want to talk about and when I was ready to talk about it, I felt awkward bringing it up again and I didn't want to have anyone pity me. It was a rough patch in my life. I was depressed for about 2 months and dealing with the stress of a new job and new people, did not help me one bit. I honestly felt so alone (although I really wasn't because when I did open up to one of my dearest friends from back home, she was as available as she could be through the phone.)
Sometime towards the end of January, Anthony and I felt it would be a good idea to join a bible study group of young people. People our age, who are in a similar stage in life, who were willing to open up and be there for each other. We prayed over it for a couple weeks and on a Thursday night, a night that we typically don't go to church, we went to group night. That night we bumped into a friend, Erin Irvin, that I had gone to Africa with over the summer and her husband. We began telling them that we were looking for a group and turns out so were they. We decided to go to group night together to find some young couples that maybe we could both join. As we looked around, we noticed no one our age. We were a little bummed and about to leave, when I randomly saw Brian Banks and I decided to say hi because I had heard that his wife was in the Air Force. I don't know exactly what happened after, but somehow we were all connected. It was crazy! Brian asked if we wanted to join a group that his wife and him were thinking of starting made up of all young married couples and Richard.
Since that day, we have been meeting with our "new" group. It has been almost 4 months since we started the book of John and getting to know each other. It has been incredible, a true blessing! Seriously, it has. They are the most amazing group of people, who love helping others and who love Jesus. We encourage each other biblically and personally. We have opened up in ways that you would no believe (we have even had a SLEEP OVER already!) On the nights that we all get together to study the Word, we all bring something great to the table. I learn from every single one of them and I get a different view from each of them. It is really amazing.
One thing that I enjoy about this group is the one night a month where the girls and boys split up. Anthony loves it and so do I. Anthony feels such a great bond to this men and I to the women. It is great knowing that we can open up and discuss marriage issues, finances, fears, praises, joy anything with these people who we met 4 months ago is incredible. I feel so blessed to have them in my life and I am so thankful for them. I am thankful for how they encourage Anthony and I, in many different ways and how much they love to hear the beautiful things that Jesus is doing in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
I am so thankful for the many friendships that this group has brought us. And even though our friends in the military, Miami, Georgia and college hold a special place in our hearts and continue to be amazing friends, it is great to have friends close by to go watch a movie with or simply meet up for lunch.
