A special friend of mine turned 21 last month.  And I couldn’t miss the opportunity to share in their celebrations.

I don’t see much of my friend these days but they’re one of those friends that even if you didn’t see or hear from them for a really long time, the second you are back together you would just feel so comfortable and at ease.

I first met them when I was only 19 and straight away I knew I had a friend for life.  We just seemed to be on the same page and they accepted me for who I was.  They were super generous and introduced me to all their friends, fed me, gave me a place to stay and made me feel so at home.

One of the most wonderful things this friend gave me was a sense of purpose, they saw that I had things to give, they saw I had things I was good at and they let me have a go.  I learnt so much from them, about myself but also about my place in the world.  I made mistakes and they forgave me and let me try again.  Their belief in me was constant and I knew they would never tell me I wasn’t good enough.

When I first met them, I was pretty broken.  I was young and arrogant but I was also hurt and a little lost.  They took time to get to know me, they saw what I could be and they helped me find myself.  They took time to see me be healed and become more the Claire I was meant to be.  And then they introduced me to people who eventually became my bestest friends and some of my favourite people in the whole world.  In the time we’ve been friends I have gained a degree, got jobs, left jobs, met my husband, bought a flat and then a house and travelled all over the world.

Then I went through the most heartbreaking experience of my life, I found out that we couldn’t have children naturally.  And they stuck by me, they cried with me, they stood by me through my mountains of faith and depths of despair, they prayed with me and they rejoiced when I finally had the two miracles of life that are my children.

I would not be the woman I am today without this friend and they will always be part of me and my family.

So now that we are thousands of miles apart and we don’t get to see each other anymore I wanted to let them know that I am so grateful for their friendship and I wish them all the very best for the years to come, you deserve only the best my friend.

Happy Birthday Frontline Church!