The Facets of Faith team is excited to share two of our lovely friends with you. That’s right, two writers this guest post rather than one.  We thought, “What fun would it be for two dear friends to collaborate on a piece about friendship?”  We knew just who to ask, Gloria Cooley and Kelli Worrall are fabulous friends who share a common bond – first Jesus, then life experiences, and time invested in each other.  We can learn a lot from others’ friendships. Keep reading for their fun real-life story of friendship on mission and orchestrated by God. We love them, and we know you will too!

I met Gloria in the fall of 2012 when our kids were in preschool together—and we initially bonded over the subject of adoption. My husband Peter and I had recently returned from China with our daughter Amelia, and Gloria and her husband Daniel were completing the paperwork for their own Chinese adoption.

Since then our friendship has expanded and deepened. We’ve been friends for eight years, but it seems much longer. In a good way! Maybe it’s because we’ve been through some big things together in those eight years. Maybe it’s because Gloria is one of those people with whom I was very quickly able to talk about anything—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Maybe it’s because Gloria is one of the most faithful friends you could ever want to have.

We’ve been in small groups and writing groups together, enjoyed many meals together—she’s been there when my cooking has turned out well and when it’s been a flop. We have celebrated birthdays and holidays and milestones.

But one of my favorite Gloria memories so far has to be Spring Break 2014.

You may remember the winter of 2013-14. Or perhaps you’ve blocked it from your memory. It was one of the top four worst winters in the Chicago area. Sixty-seven inches of snow. The third-coldest winter on record. 26 days of below 0 temps. The Polar Vortex brought bitter cold temps way into March.

Near the end of March—at the beginning of Spring Break week—Gloria and I met with our kids at the Jump Zone, and the Jump Zone was crazy! Our kids were climbing the walls—literally—while she and I stood in the midst of the chaos, just staring at each other—still cold to the bone. While the kids were burning off steam, the Jump Zone wasn’t doing anything for our stir-craziness.

Eventually, Gloria looked at me wistfully and said, “I’ve been dreaming about sticking Eleanor in the car and driving to my in-law’s lake house in Texas.”

I looked wistfully back at her and replied, “That’s funny because I’ve been dreaming of sticking my kids in the car and driving down to see my family in Tennessee.”

We both chuckled for a moment.

Then we looked back at each other through squinty, quizzical, “are you thinking what I’m thinking” eyes. I don’t remember which one of us first voiced the question: “Why don’t we do it?”

We rolled the idea over in our minds for only a minute or two before we called our husbands, expecting them to talk us out of it. However, they didn’t. I think they were secretly thrilled to see us go.

As soon as we hung up our phones, we started making plans. We would take our kids home, feed them lunch, pack our bags, and leave early the next morning.

So I took my kids home. I fed them lunch, and I started making a packing list—all the time thinking, “This is crazy.”

Suddenly, my phone rang, and it was Gloria. I answered the phone and didn’t even say, “Hello.” I just asked the obvious, “Are you having second thoughts?”

“Yes,” she said. But then she continued: “But not about going. I’m just not sure we should wait until tomorrow. I think we should leave now! That way we can drive through the night. The kids will sleep in the car, and we’ll be there by morning.”

I didn’t miss a beat. “Ok!” I said.

Then I ran around the house, shoving clothing and kid paraphernalia in bags. Within an hour and a half, Gloria pulled into my icy driveway. We shifted all of her luggage into my vehicle, and in no time at all we were on the road.

My husband jokingly called us “Thelma and Louise”—those famous friends. Thankfully, our trip bore little resemblance to theirs—other than it was a wonderful opportunity to bond and deepen our friendship.

A couple of years after our crazy trip, Gloria and I shared this story at a women’s Christmas tea. It served as the introduction to a message we gave about another friendship—of some far more famous women, who bonded over the most extreme adventure one could imagine. These two women were Mary, mother of Jesus, and her cousin/friend Elizabeth.

Elizabeth only appears in one chapter of the Bible, yet despite her brief mention in Scripture, she plays quite an influential role. We don’t know a lot about her—only that she was quite a bit older than Mary, and she had married well. Her husband was a priest. Yet despite these desirable qualities, Elizabeth bore a scarlet letter. She was barren.

Then one day something miraculous happened.

An angel appeared to her husband Zacharias while he was in the temple. “Do not be afraid,” the angel said. “Your petition has been heard and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.” This child would make ready the way for the Lord

            Zacharias questioned the angel’s message, and the angel told him that because of his disbelief he would be unable to speak until the child was born. And immediately, Zacharias became mute. He returned home to Elizabeth, and soon she became pregnant.

But Elizabeth was not to walk alone in her pregnancy.

God would soon provide another gift for her.

The gift of a friend.

Mary was different from Elizabeth in many ways. She was young, unmarried, but engaged. She was a virgin from Nazareth—a modest, agrarian society.

Just months after the angel appeared to Zacharias, God sent Gabriel to Mary in Nazareth. As far as we know, she was alone when the angel appears. Certainly, she was startled and afraid. But Gabriel began with a blessing and a declaration of God’s grace.

Then he delivered his astonishing news. “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.”

But this wouldn’t be just any baby. The angel continued, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

This proposition didn’t make logical sense, so Mary asked, “How can this be since I have never known a man?”

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,” the angel said. “And this baby will be the Son of God.”

Then Gabriel offered Mary a bit of evidence, some more miraculous news. Mary’s relative Elizabeth—old and barren—was pregnant as well. Six months along.

“For nothing,” the angel concluded, “Nothing is impossible with God.”

How did Mary respond? With complete conviction and commitment, she said, “I am a bondslave of the Lord. May it be to me as you have said.”

Mary’s first order of business after the angel leaves was to plan a trip to the hill country of Judea, outside of Jerusalem. It was a three-day journey of some 80 or more miles—not an easy journey for a young girl.

But Mary had to find Elizabeth. She wanted to see with her own eyes the sign of which the angel spoke.

As soon as Elizabeth saw Mary’s face, the baby in her own womb leapt for joy! Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and in a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!….Why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Blessed is she who has believed what the Lord has said.”

This meeting of two mothers was one of utmost joy. Both women wondered at their privilege and the favor they had found with God. Both women were ready and willing to be used by Him.

Obviously, the narrative in Luke chapter 1 is one of the most important passages in all of Scripture as the imminent virgin birth of our Lord was announced.

But as we look at these two women—whose lives converged around this most important point in history—we also see some beautiful things happening between them. We see an example of what a friendship centered around Jesus can do.

• First, God used their friendship to confirm what He was doing in each of their lives.
• Second, Elizabeth accepted Mary when others probably shunned her and could not understand.
• Third, Mary and Elizabeth rejoiced together in what God was doing and pointed each other to Him.

The level of joy in Luke 1:39-46 is beyond compare. There is no competition between Mary and Elizabeth. No “my son is going to be greater than your son.” No “why didn’t God give me your life?” There is just joy and awe and gratitude.

They each expressed humility at having been chosen by God for such a role.

And they praised God together for who He is, for what He has done, and what He will do.

Our prayer for each of you is you find and foster such friendships in your own life, that God’s sovereign hand would lead you to godly friendships full of laughter, love and blessing. In Jesus’ name, amen!

We’d love it if you joined the conversation.  What are your thoughts on friendship? Post your thoughts on the Facets of Faith Facebook page.