when you’re walking down the street.   This song is resonating in my mind… these are the people in your neighborhood, your neighborhood, you’re neighborhood.  

What is my neighborhood?  Where is my neighborhood?  Who are my neighbors?

Blogging, Facebook and Twitter have expanded all of our neighborhoods and given us more neighbors than we’ll likely ever meet face to face.   I love this fun online neighborhood.  I’ve met so many great girlfriends online who’ve become face to face friends.  Melinda and I met through our blogs.  It’s been over three years since we met face to face and here we are on this crazy, wild Great Girlfriend Adventure.

We’ve traveled over some crazy roads so far.  We’ve gotten turned around.  We’ve traveled over an unpaved section of 1930s Route 66.  We’ve seen some of the MOST amazing countryside.  It’s all been wonderful, but the MOST amazing part is the people we’ve met and the ones we’ve yet to meet.

It’s the people who make this road trip amazing.  The scenery is breathtaking.  The kitschy roadside motels are fun.

The funky Route 66 stuff is a hoot, but the people are the most important part.  They are why God called me out here.  I shared about where friends fit into our lives with the girls in Oklahoma.  I talked about giving people permission into our lives in New Mexico.  I talked about following God’s will for our life in Arizona.  And I listened.

I listened to the sweet young wife and Mom  who just moved to the area who misses her friends.

I held hands and prayed with the girl who is struggling to overcome the betrayal from a dear friend.

I laughed with an amazing young Mom who shared a funny video of her son with us.

I teared up with a girl who shared her story of pain and heartache.

I listened to a seasoned girl share her story of working on the Hopi Reservation.

It’s the women and their stories that draw me to this walk in my life.  Some days… well, really MANY days I wonder what the Lord is up to.  What is the next step, Lord?  Where are we going from here?  But I know he’s telling me to just pay attention to the person he places in my path.  Don’t worry about the ‘what’s next.  Focus on the WHO is right here.’

So that’s what I’m doing.  Just trusting Jesus to do His work and praying that everything I say and do brings GLORY to Him and Him  alone!