Today, I choose to celebrate Jen! I am so grateful that God brought Jennifer into my life at the very beginning of our years at Baylor. I'll never forget the first night we met was at a KOT voting meeting. We hit it off, and decided to grab some TCBY. We must have set outside for hours talking about our new college life and a variety of other topics. I remember learning of Jen's heart for missions in our very first conversation. We just clicked. We eventually made it back to our dorm, and never really spent much time together after that. We would run into each other from time to time, but it wasn't until later that God would ordain our friendship to go deeper. I remember like it was yesterday. I was walking on the bear trail, (Man, I miss those days!) and my cell phone begins to ring. I looked down, and I was so excited to see that it was Jen. Of course, when you meet someone freshmen year...you automatically put their number in your phone. So, I knew exactly who was calling! And I was thrilled. I answered and Jen sounded upset. The Lord had put it on Jen's heart to call me when she was going through a very difficult time in her life. (Thank You Lord!) I remember her saying a few things that penetrated my heart, and made me want to really dig into her life. I wanted to walk through whatever it was with her. I remember her saying the words, "Morgan, I just really need a friend." Once again, God was affirming my call to friendship. You see, growing up I had wrestled with the Lord about not being "gifted" in one specific area or skill. I wasn't an amazing soccer player, and I couldn't play the piano like Beethoven. I loved to sing, but I was convinced there were a million other people better than me (And it's true!). However, in my going back and forth with God, He spoke something to me..."Morgan, I've called you to be a friend." I thought, "Okay, Lord. That seems fairly simple." But what I would soon realize and what I am still realizing is that through relationship with others, God is displaying His gifts through me. It's something I am not capable of doing on my own. I desperately need Him to help me love and be the friend He's called me to be. All that to say...Jen was not a project. She was someone God allowed me to have an initial connection with, and then someone He made to be one of my dearest friends. You see, at the time, Jen may have thought she needed me. She was wounded. But we really needed each other. God used Jen in my life to grow me in ways that I would have not grown had she not been in the picture. We started singing praise songs together, talking, walking, grabbing dinner, praying, and reading the Bible together. We were just living life. And God used all of it for His glory in both of our lives. What started out as me trying to encourage Jen became a mutual loving, exhorting, and God-honoring friendship. Jen is spunky and competitive. She's rough and tough, but feminine. She's a lot of fun, and she loves well. She's a gorgeous woman, a loving wife, a beautiful mother, and a caring friend. Let me give you an example. Recently, Jen drove all the way to El Dorado, Arkansas just to be with me and my family as we lost my grandmother to pancreatic cancer. She even brought her adorable husband and daughter. They are precious to me if you can't tell. I was in the delivery room for the arrival of our precious Katherine Grace, and Jen has done things for me that most people wouldn't do (Wink! Wink!). Our little secret. Although, a few of you know what I'm talking about. We've lived together and really done life together. She's family. We've laughed, cried, prayed, had misunderstandings, forgiven, and trusted that God would continue to do even greater things! For all of this and for Jen just being Jen...I am grateful.
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