Face to face…Hand in hand…Heart to heart…Soul to Soul…My sister and I tell each other this every single day- they aren’t just words, but a gift our Father gave specifically to us on how we walk through trials, storms, fire and even joy.

FACE to FACE

In today’s generation, face to face gatherings almost never happen. With technology so advanced, we don’t hand write letters anymore (although my sister and I still do that, too), we don’t talk on the phone and we rarely get together face to face with people. Technology has been of great benefit, but also debilitating. It’s so easy to be so very “social,” while being a complete hermit at the same time. We honestly feel like we truly know those around us because we see their posts and comment back and forth. Technology has slowly caused humanity to be disengaged, disconnected. We’ve exchanged deep meaningful relationships for convenient relationships. Our relationship with God requires face to face. No, God may not physically be here, but we still need that face to face, alone time in His presence and it lifts our spirits. The same goes here with those closest to us. We can’t keep our relationship with God on track without constant face to face. We couldn’t keep our marriages going without constant face to face, so why are friendships any different? Where’s the care and concern anymore for face to face communication? Without the face to face, we are losing so much in relationships. Technology is robbing us of intimacy!

HEART TO HEART

Who do you call in your time of need? When you need to talk to someone, whether to share exciting news or need a shoulder to cry on – is there someone there you can pick up the phone and call without a doubt or do you have to scroll social media to see who’s available? My sister and I have a relationship very different than most. We talk every day on the phone to hear each other’s voices. Yes we text and keep communication open that way, but without hearing her voice, how do I truly know how she’s feeling? How do I truly sense what’ going on in her heart? We are very fortunate to be able to see each other quite a bit and we definitely take advantage of that. We can sit and just talk about any and everything, no TV, no radio or outside influences distracting us. When you have that face to face with someone, the heart to heart connection almost comes simultaneously.

HAND IN HAND

We often sit and talk about why our friendship is so different from others we have seen, and while there are several things we have learned and do differently, hand in hand is another vital component we live by. We are hand in hand physically, but also spiritually. In life, we all need that friend to be hand in hand with. Through life, who’s hand do you have to hold when afraid, in sorrow, in moments of joy? My sister and I, when in each other’s presence, often just put our hand on the other. When we pray, we always hold each other’s hand. When we are in moments of disagreements and fights, we grab each other’s hand. There is a powerful connection being hand in hand. When we are out with our husbands we are hand in hand. It doesn’t feel right walking beside them without being hand in hand with them. I often will grab my children’s hand when walking. When I do, there is an immediate connection. Boy, do we underestimate what human touch can do! Godly friendship inhabits the same intimate connection.

SOUL TO SOUL

This leads me to mention that while we may have other friends, there is always ONE that sticks closer than a brother. For my sister and I, we only go to each other. We have learned that it is much harder to maintain several “friends,” and we decided that what worked for us was only allowing each other in on this level. In order to have deep meaningful relationships, it takes time and effort and that isn’t something you can do with multiple people. As we stated in a previous blog on Covenant, you cannot maintain several relationships in covenant. It’s impossible to be fully dedicated to multiple friendships to that level. Former Miss America and Evangelist Cheryl Salem mentions that “We are the temple of the Holy Ghost and we are made up like the temple, outer court, inner court, doorway into the holy of holies and then the ultimate where covenant is made, Holy Of Holies. Not everyone can be in our holy of holies. Only a few have this kind of ability and trustworthiness to be allowed this deep in our hearts and lives. It’s up to us to keep the unholy out of our holy lives.” We live by this. There is freedom and liberation in covenant friendship. Knowing there is ONE who always has your back no matter what time of day or night, that they aren’t distracted with anyone else is completely freeing. I believe we as women all need that… But it starts with the face to face…

We understand that while the standards my sister and I set for our friendship may not be what others desire, we have learned through hardship that this was the only way for us. Nonetheless, we do believe complete intimacy and freedom comes with just having that ONE Best Friend/Sister. It’s risky, it’s judged and may even seem odd. But we have never felt more free and covered, protected.

“And he called the twelve and began to send them out TWO BY TWO, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits,” Mark 6:7.