Jessica is way better than Taco Bueno!

I was remiss in mentioning an important part of my trip to General Conference: getting to spend time with my best friend, Jessica. She commented on my General Conference post from earlier this week, wondering why I mentioned Taco Bueno and not her. Seriously, the refried beans from Taco Bueno are out of this world, but she is even better. If this post works correctly, you shoud be able to see our picture to the left (aren't we cute?). We are proudly holding up our "page badges"--the symbol of complete and ultimate power (not really, but it did allow me to get up close to many United Methodist bishops, and more importantly, to the Rev. Adam Hamilton, who is like a rock star in Methodist circles; I delivered a note to him; he didn't look up because he was sending a text message, but I did almost touch him). But, I digress...

Jessica and I were roommates in seminary. We met in choir (the "Singing Seminarians"; yes, that is the real name). We were both crying one day during rehearsal, over certain men in our lives, and it created an instant bond between us (do you like how I share our deep emotional pain on the blog, Jes?!). While I have been blessed with many close and wonderful friends in my life, Jes has been the closest, making me understand the Bible verse: "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24) Jessica has been such a friend to me...and again, that is not to diminish the other great friendships in my life. This friendship is just different...making her the person that I want to talk to first whenever something significant happens, for good or for bad (ok, after I talk to my mom, that is...because as crazy as my mom makes me sometimes--you know I love you, Corky!--I am still a momma's girl at heart).

I met a fellow page at General Conference named Tim. Turns out he and I went to the same seminary, but at different times. We talked about our seminary days and what God had done in our lives there. He told me about his best friend from seminary, and I told him about Jes. I also told him that hands down, my friendship with her was the best thing I got from seminary (not that my $50,000 degree wasn't special or anything); he said the same about his friend. It made me wonder, since being a pastor is so hard (heck, since life is so hard), if God doesn't step in and give you a gift: the gift of a soul connection with another person who will be there for you throughout all the stages of life and ministry. There are days when I feel very alone in the world, but Jes is always there...a very tangible way for me to know and remember that God is real and He loves me.

One of my favorite names for the Holy Spirit is the word "Paraclete", which means "the One who comes alongside". I think that is a good description of my friend, Jes, as well...she's a mini-paraclete: one who knows me--the good, the bad, and the ugly--and loves me anyway.

One mark of a great friendship is that you feel loved and supported, but that is not the whole of friendship. Another significant aspect of friendship, at least in my eyes, is someone that helps you become the best version of yourself. Through my friendship with Jessica, I have found healing from God and learned how to accept the parts of myself that bother me the most. I have learned more about God's unconditional love through her example. I have learned that it is safe to open up your heart and soul to someone--that you don't have to be perfect to be accepted (being a perfectionist, that was a hard lesson to learn). I still have this secret fear she will someday realize that I am really not as great as she seems to think I am, but that has more to do with my insecurities than it does with the depth of her character or the nature of our friendship. Sometimes I am still in awe that someone so amazing is actually my best friend.

Living in different states, being busy pastors, having multiple life and family commitments, all make it difficult to spend much time together. So, I am grateful for General Conference, because it gave me time to spend with my dearest friend...and my soul is in a much better place because of that. Friendship is a means of grace, a way of encountering God. Thank you, Jes, for always being a conduit of God's love and grace in my life. Hanging out with you was better than Taco Bueno or even the multiple Adam Hamilton sightings.