Life is like a bowl of ...Contradictions..

Life sometimes is a contradictory experience.. from one day being on a mountain top because a quilt top was completed, to the next, when that same quilt top gets spilled on by a bottle of red wine.. No!! That didn't happen, but just sayin' that life is contradictory in how we experience it some days.

Today, well actually started a few days ago, some not so kind words were shared with me from someone who sent me a message.. it was about another dear friend of mine, whose life is often times, straddled with ugly comments, and unfortunately, hate mail because of his choice to walk free of a life that he felt he had been born into. My friend, very honest in how, and WHO led him out of that lifetime of shame, is often times peppered with disgusting attitudes, comments, and plain lies about his choice.
Because of understanding what his life is NOW, and knowing how much society as a whole disagrees with him, his friendship to me, as well as his wife , is something I hold VERY near to my heart.. I dont just like Dennis and Melinda, but I respect them for their stance in being who they are, and standing true to whom they believe in, in this often times, ugly world. They live daily by what they believe, and follow closely, what they know is to be truth. And to me, thats the best kind of friendship one can have in life.. being real, and being true.

Sadly, because of that walking free of what society says is normal, they are wounded , but not despondent. They are hated, but never without God's amazing Love. They might be friendless, in those that disagree, and finally walk away from lifelong friendships, but yet, they are surrounded by the greatest Friend, ever known to man.. His name is Jesus..

Today, because I chose to walk along side of them in an event that they will be hosting, I , too, have lost a friend whom I thought was someone I coud relate to. In that friendship these last few days, theres much wounding going on because of something that she can not see beyond.. That my friend, Dennis, and Melinda are real people, with a real life of sin, and redemption.. They are real people to acknowlege grace, and mercy at His best for their lives, and because of that, I , too , understand the ' hateful ' comments that come with ignorance of knowing truth..

I just know that as life is contradicting everything that is good and true, the real friends I have, with DJ, or Mel , and so many others I am honored to know in real time, or other ways, will be what I stand behind today. No matter how cruel words may be , I stand behind my friends and have uttmost respect for the stand they continue to have in being real in such an unreal world sometimes..