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sadness

My Childhood Best Friend, Rebekah

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I just learned that my childhood best friend, Rebekah, has passed away. She leaves behind her mother, brother, and two teenaged children.

My heart is broken. 

As I learned the news of her passing, my mind was flooded with the memories we made.  There are so many memories and I treasure them all.

Like most childhood best friend relationships, Rebekah and I were inseparable during our elementary and middle school years.  We spent countless weekends together which always involved junk food and staying up late.  I remember us wearing matching outfits and spending hours teasing and spraying our hair before heading out to the skating rink or movie theater.

Before cell phones were invented, Rebekah and I kept our landline phones busy talking to each other almost every night.  Isn’t it funny that all these years later, I still remember her phone number?  We would talk for hours about school, boys, and our life dreams. Our friendship was special and I felt lucky to have Rebekah as my friend. 

Do you know what else made my friendship with Rebekah special?  We talked about our faith with each other.  

Rebekah loved Jesus.  I can remember us staying up until 3am talking the night way and it seemed our thoughts about God always entered our conversation.  We did not have all of the answers to life’s biggest questions, but I knew she believed in Jesus and she knew I did too.  She was a safe place for me when it came to the things of God. 

Rebekah’s faith encouraged my faith. 

Although we promised each other we would be best friends forever, like many childhood friendships, Rebekah and I began to drift apart in high school. She was gifted in drama and singing while I was busy with cheerleading and was discovering my love for science.

We found new friends who shared our new interests, and with each passing year, our connection with one another became less and less.  When we graduated and went away to college, I lost contact with Rebekah. I thought about her often, but we never reconnected.

The news of Rebekah’s passing has broken my heart.  Although we lost touch so long ago, she has always had a special place in my heart.  She was such an important person in my life, and as I learned the news that her life had ended, I could not stop the tears from flowing. 

Rebekah was my childhood best friend.  She encouraged me to think deeply about the things of God.  Rebekah’s presence in my life helped strengthen my faith.

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
~Proverbs 27:17

What about you?  Did you have a special childhood friend you felt safe with to talk about the things of God?  Was there someone who helped strengthen your faith?  

What happened to that special friend in your life?  Maybe they have already passed away from this life.  Maybe you are still close with that friend even today, or maybe like my friendship with Rebekah, over the years you drifted apart. 

If it is possible, I encourage you to find that special friend.  Invite them to lunch.  Laugh and reminisce about your childhood.  Tell them what they meant to you all those years ago.  Thank them for being someone who strengthened your faith. Don’t wait until it’s too late!

It brings me such sadness to know that Rebekah has lost her battle with cancer.  I am so thankful for her presence in my life and the memories we made. I know she loved Jesus and I know I will see Rebekah again in heaven.  I look forward to that day!

Grateful for you,
Joy