A birthday present to remember

My friend Amber came to visit for two weeks in March! We enjoyed a Hillsong conference together, traveled up to the mountains to meet the nice folks in Portland, New South Wales, Australia... and we did a few other things. Most of all, it was nice to just be with a dear friend from home.

Early in Amber's visit, I realized that I have grown used to walking this adventure of life on my own in many ways. I'm no longer used to sharing my schedule, my bed, my tears, my toothpaste... the little, ordinary day to day things that make up life. I remember thinking-- "wow, how easy it is for me to be selfish"... and yet how much better it was to be able to share, to be a team, to slow down enough to really walk together.

Amber adapted so well to life here in Sydney. It was pretty impressive. And when she hopped on the plane and headed for "home" two weeks later, I felt like I had just been given an incredible gift. Her time. Her heart. Her financial sacrifice to come. Her efforts to understand and appreciate my life here. Her willingness to connect with my friends here. But, more than all that... the gift of sharing life-- of walking together, even if it means a few paces slower for a while... it also certainly means that much stronger for the long haul.

We are meant to "do life" together, to belong to one another... as a generation who is perhaps able to reach farther and deeper than at any time before. Relationship is a gift. And incredible gift God has given us in one another.

Thanks for coming, Amber Dawn! Thanks for sparking the reminder that God's agenda is not so much how much we can accomplish individually, but whether we are able to walk together-- sharpening and carrying each other each step of the way!