God is so faithful. i know i say that a lot. but it’s the thing i’ve learned this past year that has changed my life the most. and i am not done learning it, not in the slightest. but God has drawn me so much closer to him by revealing to me, in small ways, just how great & loving & faithful he is. 
he’s been faithful through the most difficult friendship i’ve experienced. difficult, not in a totally negative way, or as if this person were terrible. because he is not. it’s been difficult because of the ways i have been challenged by him. it’s been difficult as i’ve learned what surrendering to God and trusting him really means. it was difficult last year as i grew to know this person more and more. it was difficult in the fall, as i listened to him break down and i had no way of comforting him. it was difficult in the winter, as i risked losing our friendship altogether by confronting issues that needed to be dealt with. seeing God work in both of our hearts through that conversation showed me how faithful he really is. by his grace, we both continued to grow and learn what selfless love really looks like. it didn’t just get easy after that though. life is full of struggle and doubts. and spring quarter was difficult as i learned more and more that sometimes the only thing you can do for someone is to love them as God loves and to pray for them. and i still have so much growing to do in both those areas. but God is faithful. and he is working.
and even though i didn’t end the school year the way i could have—by investing more of my time in the girls on my floor—i know that God works in spite of my brokenness. He blessed my life in beautiful ways through many new friendships with girls that i lived with. he poured his truth and hope into me through many conversations. he allowed me to open up with these girls and lean on them when i needed to cry. he taught me so many things through them. he taught me things about being patient, affectionate, generous, intentional, honest, and vulnerable. and he continued to teach me new things from friendships with girls i lived with the year before. his faithfulness was played out perfectly the day i moved out. getting a glimpse of how he reconciles people was beautiful. seeing the brokenness we live in and the stubbornness we often cling to just showed me how merciful God is to care enough about us, as unworthy as we are, and pour his love into our lives so that our resentment is washed away and we can live with peace and hope and true joy.
and His faithfulness has been made real to me through many other friendships this past year. getting to know new people and hear about their lives is beautiful. having conversations about the real doubts and struggles that people face is eye opening. there are a couple guys that i love a lot who haven’t yet been able to see God’s faithfulness in their lives. but he has been faithful. and he will continue to be faithful to both of them. it’s been so beautiful to see God work in them and through them. he has taught me so much through my friendships with them. it’s humbling to realize there’s nothing i can really do to make them see how much God loves them. but i hold on to the hope i have by God’s faithful work in my own broken heart. and i am excited to see how his faithfulness is revealed in the coming months. i know he is working to soften their hearts and open their eyes to his goodness, his grace, and his healing love.
and i am excited to hear about how God works in the lives and hearts of two of the greatest people i have met in the past couple years. he is faithful no matter where we go or what we do. his beauty can be seen across the world. he has blessed me so much through conversations of struggle, love, humility, and hope, especially with these two people. he’s used them to sharpen me, encourage me, and challenge me. and i know he will be faithful to continue sharpening, encouraging, and challenging them even though i won’t be there to see it happening.
through all the struggles of this year there has been so much joy found in the faithfulness of God. his grace is changing my life. he’s brought so many people into my life to encourage and challenge me, and i am so grateful.