We Have To...

This morning (and afternoon) I got together with a dear friend for coffee and conversation.

We talked and talked and laughed and laughed and spent about 5 hours just being...in between Miss M eating and needing diaper changes and *I* showing off various toys.

As she left she said, "We have to do this more often."

The last time we got together like this we said the same thing...and that was in September.

More often means more than every 6 months, don't you think? She lives maybe 15 minutes away. There's no blame. I'm not saying it's her fault or my fault. It just is.

In order to get together today, we had to write it on our calendars. We had to be intentional and make it important. Our friendship is important. She is a good and trusted friend. She makes me laugh and she challenges me.

The truth is everyone is busy; busy with work or school or kids or volunteer activities. Just because you do or do not have some or any of those things in your life, doesn't make you any more or less busy. We make choices that make us busy. We have control over what makes us busy. We can prioritize.

I should, by all accounts, be a busy person. I don't think of myself as busy. I even wrote about it once.

So why did we have 6 months between coffee chats? (We did get together to scrapbook, but that's different. ;) ) Because we weren't intentional. Not until last week when my friend said, "Let's put it on our calendars." did we pick a day and then we stuck to it, mostly. (Sick child trumps coffee. ;) )

Life is about choices and intentions and making commitments. I am not a schedule person. I abhor knowing that I have things I must do on a given day. Even MOPS, which I love. I wake up on some Wednesday mornings and think about not going because I just want to stay home. Don't judge me. I have laundry and schoolwork and stuff to do. I always have lots of stuff I need to do.

Guess what! It is in these times of fellowship, during these times of scheduled commitment, that I find the most comfort, insight and even peace. It makes all the other stuff go more smoothly becuase my spirit is fed and nurtured.

I am so thankful for the opportunities to be in fellowship with others. I am so thankful to be busy. My life is full, my heart is full and yes, sometimes I could use an extra set of hands (or a clone of myself) but it's all good. Spending a morning sipping coffee and chatting is much better than anything else I could have done. (Okay, if we could have solved the education budget crisis it would have been nice...)

Yes, dear friend, we must do this more often. Let's put another date on our calendars. <3

Each day we are given the choice to make people a priority. I know that I could do a better job with this. My prayer is that I use today as a lesson and just do it.

-Peace