Hannah

Hannah.

Hannah's birthday is today.

I was supposed to write her a letter of encouragement a couple of months ago, but I am forgetful and untimely, and a mom. Sorry that I didn't get to give you a letter for your book before you moved, Han. :(

BUT today I dedicate my blog to you because the truth is, it will take a lot of words and space to tell you what your life has meant to mine.

It's even difficult to know where to start, so I'll start at your beginning. The first day you saw me in Biology class. [Haha, this is starting to sound like a romance. Our eyes met, and....] No, no, no, it didn't go that way at all. Actually, I was saying hi to Hannah's now-husband, Randall, and she thought, "How cute. They know each other." Han, it was clear even from the first time you noticed me that God had something cool in store for our future. 

The first day I saw you was in between class and lab when you were showing off your new "sweet little tat" to some of the gals in my lab. I thought, "What a hooligan ... getting a tattoo." ;) I probably even inconspicuously shook my head. 

But the second time I noticed you was at Bible study, and I invited you to my house for dinner and studying. Okay, so not much studying got done, and, yes, EVERYONE knows that I infected myself with salmonella poisoning that night. Even though I felt terrible for over a week following our inaugural dinner, I am so glad that it happened because I met one of the best friends this world has offered me to date. [Love you, Han.]

What followed our Biology experience together was nothing short of amazing: May of 2008. We LIVED together. Some of my favorite memories include the RIVER, the night that all of Fort Bragg was in my house, the scrapbook from, well, you-know-where, and just getting to know you in general. I am so thankful that God allowed us to build such a FUN friendship during that time. Han, the way that you engage the world (so lightheartedly, with so much joy) is such an encouragement to EVERYONE you meet. I pray that you NEVER lose your delightful demeanor. I pray that you will always find your joy in the Lord [and never become so jaded by the world that you lose said joy.] I love hanging out with you because you make me feel so carefree and happy when I'm around you.

Sadly, I left for a month or so after our magical May together, and our spend-every-day together friendship took a brief hiatus.

The next year I got the [wonderful] opportunity to invest in you and help you grow spiritually. [Hannah, you are THE girl that I had been praying for. I thank God that every day that I spent with you was not only SO MUCH FUN, but also counted for eternity. You rule, Han!] As comes with the territory, we hit some bumps along the way, when hard issues came up in both of our lives. I am so thankful that we weathered through and reconciled every time (and continue to do so) with God's help. 

Then we got the news that Randall (your then-boyfriend) would be deploying for a year. :( Over the following two months, both of us got ENGAGED. Mine was an extremely short engagement (less than 5 months), and yours was a long one (over a year). If I may say this, I am so thankful that Randall deployed because it was during that time that we became best friends. It was also during that time that you GREW by leaps and bounds spiritually. [But, thanks be to God, Randall came home safely one year later.]

Thank you, Hannah, for being there for me during a tough engagement. [Thank God that's over.] Thank you for going to Wal-Mart with me at midnight the night before my wedding. ;) Thank you also for taking Geography with me during the fall semester. [How much fun was that?!] Thank you for working at CDS with me. Thank you for coming over to my house every time that there was a thunderstorm. Thank you for organizing every shower/party/fake prom imaginable with me. You were my right hand woman and made everything that I did SO MUCH FUN! I treasure my first year of marriage as one of the best years of my life. You made it great for me just as much as Josh did. I adore you and will always cherish your friendship.

May of 2010 was madness. Two surgeries. Randall came home. :) And our friendship changed. While it was tough for me at the time, it was such a joy to watch you walk down the aisle and become Randall's helper for life. You were such a beautiful bride and you continue to be a shining example of a great wife every day. Randall is so blessed to have you, and I have been so blessed by witnessing you become a great wife. Thanks for letting me be a part of your life.

A few things that I really admire about the modern-day Hannah follow ....

1. I love how diligent you are. You and I are both P's, but you have done such a great job making yourself be proactive about getting today's goals done today. You can outwork/out-task me 25-1. Proverbs 13:4 says, "The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied." I know that God will continue to bless you and Randall because of your diligence in all areas of life (spiritual and physical).

2. I also love your commitment to quality control in God's girls. If there is an area of weakness/sin in any girl that you're investing in, you let her know. You are passionate about presenting women to Jesus as pure, spotless, and wholly devoted to him (2 Corinthians 11:2-3 remind me of you). I respect your inability to overlook even minor areas of sin. The Church needs more people like you.

3. I love your love of children. Since I've become a mama, it has become apparent how uncomfortable even believers are with children being around. "Stick them in the nursery," they say. "Children are a distraction. Children are hindrances to growth and fellowship." I love that you think just the opposite. You say, "The more the merrier!" You say, "Let me invest in your children, and (in doing so) model the love of Christ for you." You say, "Bring the kids to Bible study. This is how it SHOULD be. Families getting into the Word together." I love this about you, Hannah. I am a little envious of your future children/foster children. You are going to be a fabulous mommy!

Han, there is no way that I could ever put into words the way that your life has impacted mine. I myself don't even understand the full extent of your influence. All I know is that God gave you to me and me to you at EXACTLY the right time for an awesome purpose. We are still discovering that purpose with every passing day that we continue to be friends. I love you, Hannah Grace. I cannot wait to make many more memories as your friend.