kayla

i marvel at the relationships that God creates. the way that He can take two people and fit their differences and similarities into a friendship fascinates me, largely because i get to be a part of so many awesome peoples' lives.

kayla smith is my cousin and my best friend, and she's moving back up to flagstaff today to continue her schooling at northern arizona university. we had time to eat breakfast before she left, so we went to paradise bakery and enjoyed our last couple of hours together. the two of us grew up together, and her role in my life is a highly cherished one that no other person can fill.

on the way back to her house today, she pointed out how a lot of people think that the two of us are really alike when they first meet us, but after knowing us longer discover that there are a lot of prominent differences. and that's where God gets all the glory, because He is the one who put us into each other's lives, knowing what our personalities would be like and where we would differ from one another. He knew that we would end up being best friends, and He designed each of us in a way that makes that friendship so much richer and more beautiful than it would be on its own, without Him.

our conversation ended with us raving about how awesome Jesus is, and how much we love Him, and then we hugged each other tight and i drove away from her house, crying a little all the while. i treasure our friendship so much, and i will miss her immensely while she's away, and i hope that i never take her for granted.