How Sweet It Is

Oh how sweet it is to have people you miss. That sounds like a strange statement because we all know how it feels to miss people and let's be honest, it's never any fun. Sometimes we miss home and all things associated with it, sometimes we miss who we used to be or who our friends used to be, and sometimes we miss the good ole days. when everything was easy, and less complicated. less strewn about. when everyone was in one place and one time. we said we just wanted to get away, just wanted to get out. but here we are: out. And yeah we love it, most days. most days we love new friends and adventures (don't forget the free food). but a small part of us misses what we used to have. and it doesn't take very much for that sudden rush of "missing" to come about. a facebook comment, a throwback thursday post, a letter in the mail, a simple text, "hey friend. i miss you." the words hang in the balance as your heart slowly sighs. you can only reply with i miss you too. but its never enough. the words are never enough. you can yell them into the phone, but they're never enough, are they? and you can say it a thousand times, every day, still, it is not enough. i miss you...i miss you...i miss you. Tonight my heart sighed, as it often does. I miss you too I replied. but I shook my head realizing that it was not enough. Just as I was about to fall into homesickness mode [as they call it here] I heard Jesus whisper, "how sweet it is to have people you miss."  I thought about it for a while and then kind of giggled. how sweet it is to have people I miss. because that means that I have people in my life worth missing. and as I thought more on why they were worth missing I realized that it was because of Jesus. After all, those I miss most know my heart better than anyone else. and they pray with me. and they encourage me. and we lived life together full and well. "just friends" doesn't normally do those things. a friendship rooted in Jesus is a whole different story. Jesus does things to a friendship. he takes something so simple and something so easily misconstrued and makes into this deep relationship. a relationship that is worth missing. and I think that that is something to be celebrated! a friendship worth more than just a few laughs, but one of deep love rooted in the greatest friend of all. I guess what I'm getting at here is that I'm finding it okay to miss these people, to miss home. because they are completely worthy of being missed. to those friends of mine, I wanna thank you for living life with me, for praying with me, encouraging me, for taking me as I am. you are MISSED, and that is a sweet sweet truth. 


So here's to the One who showed us better love, to long distance friendships rooted in jesus, and to friends who are worthy of being missed.

just a few of those hearts I miss most: [but not limited to]