By Sandra Lee, Praxis @ Gracepoint Berkeley
In 2009, I, along with most of my peer sisters turned 30. If you had asked me when I was a teenager what I would be doing at this juncture of my life, I would have just said, “Is there life after 30???!” But yes, there is life and I have experienced it to be full because of the friendships I have and am loved by. When I think back to when I first met my friends in freshman year of college, I remember the drama, the awkwardness, the roommate squabbles we had and then our leaders helping us to reconcile our differences (whether it be about sleeping hours or hygiene J). And now 12 years later, I’m amazed that we’re here and we’re serving in different ministries, loving the younger ones and being older sisters…and some of us are even moms!
When I think about my life before meeting these sisters and now, as we are co-laborers in Christ, it was so dark. I never had people in my life where I felt I could let my hair down with, be at ease, and be fully known yet unconditionally loved. Through these friendships, along with God’s grace in maturing us to get past our small differences, I have people I can go to when I am feeling down and be refreshed and encouraged by. I have people I can be inspired by, as I see each one of them serving faithfully in their different ministries (Koininonia, a2f, IGSM, Joyland, Praxis, and Susan Iskandar who is in Taiwan), dying to their own comfort and privacy and inviting younger ones into their homes and becoming people whose lives are living proof of a living and transforming God. I have people who I know share a common vision so that even though our times together may be short and infrequent (or always accompanied by rambunctious toddlers and infants) I can be sure that they are running alongside me to finish this race and pass on the baton to the future generations. I am so thankful that I have so many rich friendships, and I don’t know where I would be without their presence in my lives.
It’s been 21 years since my freshmen year. I wonder how many people in the world who can say that they had stayed very very close to the same set of friends for over 20 years. I wonder how many can boast of having peers like I do. I am not bragging or anything. I am simply thankful and I marvel at God’s grace for allowing me experience this. We are not some extraordinary people either. There is no super Christian among us. Some of us are extremely moody and lazy. We have our issues. But my peers are precious to me just because they are my peers. We are fellow sojourners and I am deeply grateful for them. This journey would not have been possible without them.
I am thankful for my friends with whom I have shared life with these past 22 years. I remember when I came to this church, I didn’t know myself or life or love. I was very ignorant but too insecure to let it show (although I am sure most people figured me out). When I think of those times, I cringe, remembering how in so many areas my knowledge, experience, and character were REALLY “lacking.”
Then God stuck me with a few guys, my friends whom I have known now 20 years on. When I think of them now, I feel small in front them, seeing how they are now so robust humanly and spiritually.
Yet, things were not always so. When I got to Berkeley, an honor-loving and restrained soul, one of them slugged me HARD in the arm in the first minute we met; another guy tried to change my “backward” politics; another who I knew since junior high and who I NEVER thought I would see in church, shocked me by turning up at our church. When I saw him, I said, “What are YOU doing here?!?” Another, was such a famous exaggerator that I actually calculated a multiplier for any number he gave. But through lots of talks, meals, arguments (some quite heated), long drives, messages, DTs, trips, expeditions to foreign lands, lots of basketball games, and lots of ordinary living their lives have influenced and nurtured mine. And God has welded our lives together.
Through the years, they connected me with God, showed me what love is, and taught me about life (a lot through just struggling together to live it), so now I have come to know and be at peace with myself. Now, I wouldn’t trade knowing them for any other more “normal” people. Without them, I don’t think I would count myself so rich today.
A grateful not-so-normal peer
Since the time I came here in 2008 April, I have been able to build meaningful relationships with my small group. Its those times that we have sharing that really makes me grateful. The fact that I even have people to talk to about these kinds of things really makes me realize all that I have been given. As I look at those times of sharing this really makes me think of teenagers out there who commit suicide. If they only had someone to talk to about their struggles. They really drives me to serve more and be more open to people at Alameda High and not let insecurities hinder me from the work God has given me to do.
I’m thankful for my peers who have loved and accepted me as I am. I’m so thankful for the different ways in which they really encourage me. I really enjoy their presence and care in my life. It’s so special that our church has this rich culture of close relationships. I’m thankful for the way God has used my friends to carry me through difficult truths/times to help shape me to who I am today.
Class of 2003!!! Being out here in Austin makes me that much more grateful for all of you and the many years we’ve spent since our college years. Praise God that He’s enabled each of us to partake in His grand work of saving souls.
I am SO thankful for my peers… the 09 sisters.. there’s 30 of us! It’s so amazing how God is continuing to add to our numbers as we have witnessed the salvations and baptisms of several sisters this year. As I see my friends and coworkers outside of this church lose contact with their friends from college, I am so amazed and blessed that we are all growing in this church, meet regularly for birthdays and other gatherings, keep in contact through our google groups, sending prayer requests about family, job interviews, etc. I’m thankful for the richness of relationships God has given me!
I am thankful for my brothers of the Class of ‘05. They are guys I have known for about 8 years now, and I have come to see how extraordinarily rare and precious that is. In spite of our medley of personalities, by the grace of God we have been brought together as peers: we pray for one another, offer up strength for one another, and push each other to our full potential. And I am grateful that I have peers who live out the gospel, faithfully serving in Taiwan, Austin, Davis, SF, and Berkeley.
I am so thankful for Chris and Alex!
We all are pretty immature together, however, we still keep each other accountable. This is because we have strengths and weaknesses in different areas. I really appreciate how much different our backgrounds are such as having a Christian parents vs. non Christian parents. I am so encouraged and inspired by them. They teach me a lot a lot.
I am also thankful for Stephanie Kung.
Whenever I work late, I come to her house to sleep over, since the Bear Market is right across her house. No matter how late it is, she always welcomes me!!! AND she always tell me to get back to work when I procrastinate.
Even though I specified the names too specifically, I love all my peers!
I am thankful for my peer brothers for accepting and loving me as who I am, not who I make myself to be. Through these guys I am able to experience for the first time in my life the amazing love that God has for me. I am thankful for God for providing such wonderful people in my life who I could turn to and talk about anything ranging from the latest sport news to particular struggles I am going through. Despite the different backgrounds and rather different personalities, we are able to put aside such differences and unite together as band of brothers. Although I only know these guys a little more than a year, I am thankful for God for blessing me with these guys.
I am so thankful for my peers who have loved me and persevered with me through the past 9 years! I would definitely not be here today if not for them. That’s for sure. As it was God’s concrete love through them that broke through a hardened heart like mine. I thank them for always putting up with me through tough times, my princess brat attitude, porcupine ways of relating, anger, my crazy thoughts – they have loved me through all of that. That was such a miracle and opened my eyes clearly to the love of God and his grace. I am thankful that they have shown me God’s concrete love and the most important truth – that I am loved for who I am, such freeing love that strengthens me and motivates me to try to love others. It’s hard to forget the outstanding debt I have to love.
They have provided more than just encouraging words, but even helped me financially and sacrificially at various junctures. I know these relationships are only possible because of Christ so I thank Him who brought such an unlikely bunch of people together.
I am encouraged daily by their presence – as they fight the good fight and serve faithfully in a2f, kairos, koinonia, csueb, davis, praxis, sf, austin and hsinchu. Though we are so spread out and we will continue to be physically apart, the depth of our relationships only grow stronger. I’m thankful to see how the gospel has penetrated our hearts, transformed us, and how God can use us to minister and be a source of blessing to others.