A gift in this year: Kym.

This girl.

Everything is a gift, I believe, and also I try to choose to see.

But I can honestly say with this friendship the God-deciding-to-just-hand-me-a-present-ness especially jumps out at me...

not only because she's so wonderful (and oh, is she!), but also because our friendship has just been unique and kind of weird (in its awesomeness).

I honestly have no idea where its depth and encouragement freakin' came from*. And I'm so appreciative.

Kym and I had had a total of one coffee date and some very pleasant group interactions...

when I called her at 12:30 AM (as in, after midnight, mmk?) because I needed to vent and I needed to vent to her specifically.

That was about all I told her before I yanked her out of her apartment into my car and drove her around Wheaton for an hour non-linearly spilling my [crazy] heart out.

True. Story.

And then after I dropped her back off close to two in the morning on a school night, and had calmed somewhat down and was feeling ridiculous about the whole situation, I reached for my phone to text her an embarrassed apology- and had this text waiting:

"You are lovely and wonderful and I can't tell you how glad I am you called me :-D."

Who says that? Kymberly Grove.

Annnnd then we were soul sisters.

I love this girl. So much. And miss her SO much.

I'm so grateful for her sweet face and hugs.

I'm grateful for her amazing listening ear.

Did I mention amazing? Listening? Ear?
That said, I am SO grateful for every chance I had to hear HER heart. Because it is beautiful.

I'm grateful for what she teaches me about life and family and church and community.

I'm grateful for the unique way she can observe, listen and speak into situations and people's hearts.

I'm grateful for her willingness to go hard places, in her own life and others'.

I'm grateful for the depth of her faith. Having deep faith is scarier than choosing to not. She is brave.

I'm grateful for her authenticity. She is who she is. She calls others to be who they are. She won't do anything less. Love that.

I'm so grateful for her comedic gifts, for which she does not give herself enough credit. She completely rocks the dry humor, without a drop of mean-spiritedness. It's awesome. She makes me laugh a LOT.

I'm grateful for how many different people, and different kinds of people, she can see beauty in and appreciate and make feel beautiful and appreciated. Everyone loves her. She works at calling out others' gifts. It's amazing and such a gift to the people in her life.

I'm so grateful for the memories we made together.

We do this thing where we go get Starbucks to go really late at night (...like ten),

and then go to the beautiful lake behind Rez and sit on a bench in the dark,

talking and feeling the wind and staring at the lights on the water.

(As we drink our lattes).

It's my favorite thing ever.

I'm grateful for Iglesia meetings,

and taking the kids to a play, and how our little girls come hug us when they see us.

I'm grateful that she stayed with me when she was between houses. I cherish that week.

I'm grateful for long conversations and cuddling.

I'm so grateful to have gotten to hear some of her heart and thoughts about HNGR;

to be praying through this year with her.

I honestly, really feel like God so intentionally gave me Kym this spring. To keep me kind of uniquely sane. And certainly to make me so happy. And, I just love her. A lot.

(And I am SO proud of her now in Thailand!!)

Thanking God for giving me Kym this year.

*(I mean I guess the whole point of this blog exercise is, she came from Jesus. I meant it, you know, for rhetoric dramatic effect :-)).

.21.