I have been blessed with an amazing amount of true friends throughout my life. There are so many women who have loved me just as I am, where I am. They have accepted all my quirks and goofball antics, and they laugh with me as much as they cry with me. Oh, I am grateful for so many amazing friends God has placed in my life!
I pray I give back as much as I receive…
Genuine true friends are there for you in times of crisis. They not only show up- but dive in. They can help you in various ways and each beautiful and precious act of service always shines light through the darkness in our lives. Through all the valuable and cherished memories I have of such times when my loved ones have stepped in to help, there are those rare and raw moments of sacrifice that touch my heart so deeply. Those times when a friend has gone above and beyond what they would be called to do, only because they love me. Those are the moments when I realize that laying your life down for a friend brings a deeper meaning and an entirely new view.
There are so many opportunities around us to serve our loved ones, our friends and even those we don’t know well- or don’t know at all. But how many of us truly tune in? It takes a mighty heart to look beyond our lives and give of ourselves in such a way that challenges our comfort zone. I want to stretch and push and strengthen this very part of giving. God calls us to place our priorities where they are most needed, not where we need them most.
One of my true friends did something for me that I’ll never forget. It was a simple and precious act and yet it was profound and sacrificial- rendering such love that it brought me to tears.
I was going through some hard things in my life and she was well aware I was both depleted and hurting. She encouraged me to go to the pool so our kids could swim while we soaked in some sun and drowned in our laughter because with her I always laugh. I agreed to her request knowing full well that was the best medicine I could have. Sometimes we all need to take a break from our own stuff.
This friend of mine is ALWAYS perfectly dressed from head to toe. She is gorgeous. And every single time I see her (which is very often), she looks amazing, wearing adorable outfits, cool accessories, and perfectly matching jewelry to boot. Head. To. Toe. (But don’t be misled; she is as real as they come.)
I, on the other hand, live in sweat socks and gym shoes. Gym shorts and tank tops. My hair is always in a messy bun or ponytail with minimal everything just to get by. I am far from the latest fashion and fail miserably at presentation. She loves me anyway… and often helps me with my hair and outfits with a glorious unconditional slathering of love.
One thing I deplore is my feet. They are wretchedly neglected because they ferment in my sweaty socks and gym shoes all day long. My feet have always been in awful condition, due to some serious joint issues, so I cannot wear sandals, flip-flops or any cute shoe with heals or my gosh, basically any cute shoe at all. It’s hard to have fashionable outfits with gym shoes and sweat socks. It is what it is, and I’ve accepted that, although it doesn’t stop me from longing to wear some cute shoes and have pretty feet.
She knows all of this.
When we get to the pool, we get comfy in some chairs in the shade and begin unpacking our things. She immediately opens up her bag and pulls out her pedicure supplies. She then proceeds to reach for my foot and starts to gently pull off my shoe and stinky sweaty sock to expose the nastiness that is there. I immediately pulled it back and squealed with disgust, “What are you doing??!!” She reclaims my foot while she gently persuades, “I am giving you a much-needed pedicure.”
I stare at her in total disbelief, while she fiddles through her polish and cleaners and lotions to find her filer, and starts working on my neglected disgusting fungi-filled toenails.
She sees absolutely nothing wrong with this act, despite me being horrified.
This perfectly pristine and ever so elegant woman has my smelly sweaty fungi foot in her beautifully manicured hands… and she is focused only on loving me.
Each nasty toe at a time.
Above and beyond?
To her, it was just giving me some comfort and precious pampering, in her own unique and compassionate way.
We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 1 John 3:16
I am deeply aware and in awe of the power of this verse. There are moments of sacrifice that resonate in our lives of the literal sense when we give so much of ourselves to another- true friends lay down their lives in many various ways.
And yet, there are those surprisingly simple and yet profound acts of service that are the ones that really get me.
A pedicure at the pool.
Perhaps God didn’t picture it this way…
Or maybe He did.
Because I could have sworn that Jesus washed my feet that day.
***
That’s so sweet. One of my friends came to the hospital and gave my nasty, swollen feet a pedicure and rubbed my hairy legs. Those are true friends!!#
Oh Alexa, that is just precious of your friend!! I just love that. Aren’t we blessed to have those kind of friends in our lives? SO grateful for them. I’m so glad you have them too. 🙂
What a good friend! My feet are not the prettiest either…I have icky crinkled toenails which I cover with a pedicure when I have a free moment or I am desperate (whichever comes first, usually desperation), but they don’t usually look all that great. And I wear flip flops. Who’s judging? Not me, certainly! I thought this was going to be about how often people wash their feet…lol. That was a conversation many years ago between another couple friend of ours. I won’t divulge it here, because it was kind of gross. Haha.
Wait- you have to wash your feet? I always count on the shower water with the suds from my shampoo and soap to do the trick. LOL Huh. 😉
Aw, bless your friend’s heart and just loved hearing how she did something so kind and nice for you. Seriously though, you are a wonderful person and very well deserving of this though in my eyes. Hugs!! <3
AW! Thank you so so much, my friend! I felt SO loved by my friend. 🙂
Oh Chris, I am at Sophie’s volleyball end of season celebration and I. Am. Crying! For goodness sake I need a “read when home alone” warning when your posts are going to make me cry!
First of all, you are not always a mess with your hair looking awful and bla, bla, bla. You just don’t realize the beauty that is in and on you. And, yes…YES…HECK YEAH, you love your friends with the best love this side of Heaven! Don’t ever wonder if you do, cuz you do, k?
I just love you. I love US ❤️
Oh WPB!!! I cry every time I read your comment. I love you so so much. And I’m SO grateful you see the beauty in me. That means more to me than you will ever know… POOL TIME SOON!!! 🙂
What a wonderful friend!
So I did one of those foot peels. I ordered it online. They work, but they make your feet peel for two weeks. That’s normal! Anyway, I should have done it in the winter but did it recently and noticed my friend staring at my foot. She must think I don’t care for my feet at all, when really it’s the opposite! They’re just in peeling transition! So embarrassing.
Ha! I could use a foot peel. Not sure I’m up for the two week peeling though. Too funny!
How sweet! I love the line about getting out of our comfort zone to give to another. I won a book from Melody Carlson once because of this little description about friends: ‘Friends draw my eyes to the abundant skies. So often I fill my plate with a heap of doing but what gives me more nutrition is a mountain of being. Friends keep me centred on the journey, vividly colouring my skies daily; and friends are true treasures and blessings from God.’ Your friend is really a true treasure from God, and I am sure you are a treasure to her too.
Oh I LOVE that beautiful description, Lynn! Simply gorgeous!! You have such a gift with words, my friend. XOXO Thank you for sharing it with me!
Wow, Chris, what a powerful story and what a wonderful friend. Truly. Wow. I think God pictured it exactly that way. Maybe not exactly but I think it’s perfect. <3
I think it’s pretty perfect too, Kristi. <3
I’m so glad I’m not the only one. My girlfriends have the prettiest feet. It’s embarrassing when we go for pedicures together.
You go for pedicures together- I think that is so sweet!! 🙂
So um, is she busy Saturday? ha. My feet could sure use it, and she sounds like a pure gift of gold.
I do friends gardens. That’s my thing. I get dirty so you don’t have to. But you know, I am terrible at letting people do stuff for me. And I know the other side is you have to allow others to be the blessing they are meant to be too. I’ll work on that.
I tell ya what- I’ll get her over on Saturday, if you do MY GARDEN!! Deal? 🙂
And yes, work on that receiving, my friend. Don’t cheat people out of that great blessing in serving YOU. <3
Wow, now that is a forever and priceless friendship. What a gift. Jesus in the midst without a doubt. This truly inspires me to want to be that friend, the feet-washing kind. But also the kind of friend you were in that moment, allowing yourself to be vulnerable, letting others in, despite the “smelly, sweaty, fungi” going on in your life at that time. It makes me so happy this friend was there for you in such a beautiful way!
Oh yes! I too, want to be that friend to others! And I love how you acknowledged my own vulnerability in receiving her gift. THANK YOU for always always understanding the depths of my words, beloved friend. <3
((tears))
The idea of one washing one’s feet metaphorically of literally gives me the shivers up and down like little hugs.
This.
This is how I want to live my life.
What a wonderful friend.
I love her.
And I love you.
xxx