Logan, Selina, Samantha and Olivia have been some of my closest friends since my journey with God began and these past few months have been milestones on our journey together. The "Fab Five," is not only the name of our newest album release (kidding), but what we refer to ourselves when listing all of our names becomes too tedious to further conversation. Not only because Fabulous is one of the few words that truly encapsulate all of our personalities, but mostly because it's the first 4th grade alliteration that came to our mind when labeling the group of us became, well, necessary. Kind of like the Pink Ladies from Grease, but with much less hair spray and cigarettes.
Our friendship started at the church, but wasn't always Christ-centered. We all had our stories and personally, I thought I would never be able to tell them my whole story, because then I'd be the weakest link, I would be less of Christian whom Christ wasted His grace on and they had no struggles. We had all been told we were flawless in God's eyes, but none of us really believed it. If we did, we'd have been willing to share that with each other. We'd be willing to share our "salads."
I sat there one night and said to them, "I want to be able to tell Logan if I'm eating too much salad. And I want Logan to be able to call me and say, 'hey, Alyssa, you're eating too much salad, so stop because that's sinful.'" It turned out we were all craving that accountability. From that talk and because of it, I know the inward parts of those girls. I know their deepest struggles, I know their greatest redemptions and I know there are girls in every corner of Missouri, even over the world, praying for me and fighting for me.
With Selina in the Dominican Republic studying abroad, Samantha an RA at her school, Olivia getting in to her music and Logan building relationships back home, it should be harder to communicate with one another, and it is at times, but I've talked to these girls more in the past month this semester than all year last year. I wouldn't say our conversations are longer, but now they have a purpose driven behind them.
Our conversations are God-focused because we are God-focused. And the accountability that we offer to each other is there because each of us genuinely have that love of Christ for each of them. I want to see them succeed.
I've fallen on my face, I've eaten dirt from the shoes of my sins, but when I was on the ground I had four girls next to me planted firm who were pulling me up. I cannot stress how important accountability is, because I know if it weren't for these girls I wouldn't be here.
We've had seasons in our life of planting and growing. I know if it weren't for the women in our life who walked before us, we wouldn't be where we are. If it weren't for Lauren Sterling, Amy V, Crystal Kratzer, Meagan Truax and so many other influential women in our lives who kept us accountable and poured into us, who made disciples out of us, we wouldn't be in the season of life that we are in.
I share this with you as encouragement, to share with you this awesome season of harvest we five are in right now. And as a reminder that it didn't happen over night, we labored, we labored hard but God delivers, He keeps His promises and provides. But in this race we are running, we need to find those running partners, those coaches who desire our new creation as much as God does.
One Love.
Hebrews 3:13
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called 'Today,' so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Galatians 6:9
Do not become weary when doing good, for at a proper time you will reap a harvest if you do not give up.
