The Lord has blessed me with some absolutely amazing friends, some good friends, and some friends that I call cartoon friends. I love all of my ladies (let's be honest I have no male friends unless they are married to one of my girlfriends or friends with my husband and are therefore a nice consolation) but I wish I knew them all better.

This verse has been running through my mind recently and has really pierced my heart and made me think about my ladies, specifically my cartoon ladies.

"Bear one anther's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2

My cartoon ladies are the friends who are always happy and who never seem to be phased by the brokenness of our world. I love these ladies and at times have seen the cracks in their veneer, but because they won't let me in, that's all I've ever seen. They won't share their pain or their suffering with me and all I can do is hope and pray that they are sharing it with someone.

I have a girlfriend who went through something terrible somewhat recently. Something happened to her that changed her life forever and broke her heart. Before this thing happened I would say that we were pretty good friends but I don't think I really knew her. We had laughed together and we had shared some secrets but until her heart was exposed and her junk was put out on the table in lots of tiny pieces, I didn't really know her.

I am sad for my friend who had to live through such a trial but I am so thankful that she did it with me and not alone. I am thankful that she let go of her cartoon facade and allowed me to see her garbage and her sin. Because we have weathered a storm together I feel closer to her than ever. She let me bear her burden too.

I understand that my relationship with each and every friend is going to be different. Not all of my relationships are going to be deep and meaningful but honestly, shouldn't they be, at least to a point?

If you are my friend, I want to know you and I want to be known by you too. I don't want to sit and have coffee and talk about babies or vacations or things every time. I want to talk about your heart and mine and expose my real self to you, the self that I try to hide because I'm afraid you won't like me anymore. I want to bear your burden, see the garbage you've been hiding and tell you that I still love you, no matter what's behind the closet door.

I am a sinner, you are a sinner and the only one who can save us from our sin, from hell, from ourselves, is Jesus. Jesus asks us to give our lives to Him and through his saving grace find forgiveness and solace in His arms; but this is not the end. Along with trusting the Lord with our sin and our brokenness we are supposed to be in community with others to live through our trials together. Supporting, loving and praying for one another.

If you are my friend I love you. If you're not my friend, I want you to be and I love you.