Women's Friendships....My Girlfriend --Maria!

Meet my friend, Maria....I want to tell you about my friend, Maria. I will share a little about our friendship. God used Maria’s daughter to unite us. It was through work relationship with her daughter, Lupe who worked part-time at my job. Lupe was smart, respectful and loved kids. She was actually the only teenager I ever wanted to babysit my boys. I was never a huge fan of teenage babysitters. I had heard Lupe talk about her family and knew that my kids would be great with her.

I asked Lupe if she could watch the boys, I could tell Lupe was from a great family. The day arrived and I am to drop off kids at the Perez family home with Lupe. This was a weird thing for me to do, drop them off at a stranger’s house. I drove up running late and guess what? Lupe wasn't there!. A very friendly Mexican lady with lots of life answers door, says hello to me, hugs and kisses, me and the boys. I knew Maria was going to be a new friend! She said Lupe was running late, but the boys would be fine with her until she got there. Why was I totally comfortable with this? Not the norm for me! She knew the boys names and our entire family. Obviously, Lupe had told her everything! She was super sweet. That is how our friendship started with one babysitting job for Lupe. I don’t think we even paid her. The boys LOVED Lupe!! All they wanted to know when I picked them up was when they could go back to the Perez’s house.

After that I randomly, started stopping over to see Maria and just chilling out with her. We would just cuddle on the sofa with blankets and talk "girl talk." She was safe with me and I was safe with her. We didn’t go the same church and she was ahead of me parenting. She had children in college. We laughed and just enjoyed each others company. Willie didn’t have a clue who the Perez’s were but soon he was involved too. Then we started doing family stuff together. Willie fell in love with them! He even became the high school girls "personal trainer" for track. He was a very hard trainer. Those girls suffered! Then he started randomly stopping by the Perez house. Pedro, Maria’s husband was glad to see Willie, now there was a man on the scene. There were 5 women in the Perez home!

We did picnics together, boat rides, bonfires and just family hang time. They even threw me a Mexican birthday party with songs in Spanish and lots of Mexican food! My kids love the Perez’s to this day. They are just a wild and crazy family, there house was always bustling, with adults, kids, laughter and plain family chaos.

Maria became more than my friend but my sister. I have since then walked with Maria from a distance through a tragic accident with her daughter, Carmen who is currently in a life care center. God has used this family tremendously during this very difficult time with their daughter Carmen to impact the life of many families. They have seen many miracles and know it is a miracle that Carmen is still with them! Maria thanks God daily!

I realized what a God special bond with Maria and I when we went to visit Washington State after Carmen’s accident. Maria was taking her first trip away from Carmen since the accident and told me she was really relieved that I would be in town part of the time she was gone. She knew I would go see Carmen, pray over her and pray for her. That was so true and that's exactly what I did.

I have often encouraged Maria in the Lord, sharing scripture and praying for her and her family. Maria for me was just a girl who I could be myself with and she took care of me, when I didn’t always do that for myself. She would even give me home pedicures. Washing my feet even as Jesus did! She has an amazing servants heart. I love her she was a safe place that I could just run away from hubby, kids and mom to just relax and laugh. She would drop everything and just chill with me. It was where she was in life and I SO needed that!

Many God moments with the Perez family happened! Recently, Maria's youngest daughter put on my facebook page.."Today in church our priest asked us if we remember the first people that brought us to Christ and before he finished his sentence, I thought of you. Thank you so much for starting one of the best and most rewarding journeys ever I will endure. I love you very much and miss you tons!" I remember that day that God allowed me to share Christ with Veronica in my living room! That was a great God moment with that family!

Maria still tells me how she misses my random stops by her home. I would always knock on the door once and walk in. Their dog(Chester) would run out door and run away (every time). We would typically let the dog run way and do nothing but laugh. We would let someone else most often, her husband go after him. I would always over stay her house too long. The phone would ring, I would see it was Willie and say, “Oh my, gotta go!” One time he even came by and said, " I knew you were here!"

I love Maria, and 11 years later I still consider Maria my friend and sister! All it takes is a phone call, skype or a visit and we pick right up where we left off! I know that Maria's friendship has made a difference in my life and the life of my family. Thank you Jesus for Maria!!!

Maria's thoughts on our friendship.. She is amazing , caring and fun friend! I remember when she and her friend, Arlene invited us to dinner, what was crazy about this was they were making a Chinese stir fry and they didn't have a recipe... Then it was our turn, we invited them over to dinner and that was the beginning of a great friendship. What I loved about Lisa was she was the one friend who dropped by unannounced and would stay until Willie or the boys called asking if she was there. We would just talk and make plans for whatever we needed to do. I loved how she told my husband, "Maria is coming with me!" No questions asked! I loved how we always managed to have fun. It was always wild and crazy but fun. I love how God puts friends in our lives that we need. To this day Lisa is there for me, even from a distance, she always calls me when I need her, like someone tells her," your friend needs you now" and she calls, I love knowing she is always just a phone call away. And watch out when she visits that is a whirlwind, with tons of fun! love my friend Lisa!!!!!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NIV
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!