love loud enough...

Over the weekend I went to a wedding for a longtime family friend. Sweet Lindsay Smith grew up as a dear friend of my little sister Julie and on Saturday, Lindsay married her love at Bates Nut Farm. It was a beautiful afternoon and evening as we all watched the sun set under the trees just dancing with twinkle lights. Lindsay’s dad, Dennis, was a mentor of mine all throughout Junior High and High School, so I was a smidge weepy as I watched him give away his little girl. It was a ceremony full of God’s presence and intentionally grounded with Christ as the center and foundation upon which their marriage and love will stand and that is my idea of a beautiful wedding. 

This weekend was ALSO the weekend of the Bush Family Reunion, so I had to get gussied up for the wedding in my parent’s fifth wheel. It’s not exactly the ideal location and if we’re really honest, beach air is a NIGHTMARE for taming my hair. It’s a combination of curly and straight but not specifically one or the other so with the slightest bit of humidity we are off to FRIZZ TOWN in the worst possible way. There was no question, it had to go up in some form or fashion. So I went to work with some texture powder, a dutch braid, and the bobby pins. All in all the hair turned out alright. Then it was onto makeup, which really just meant a darker eye and a bolder lip. I used my standard Maybelline 24-hour color tattoo in "barely branded" as the primer and layered on some wet and wild shadows (I know, I’m SO CLASSY like that) and my lips rocked a serious red “in love with ginger” by Rimmel. I’m a drug store makeup lover through and through. I busted out my favorite target skirt and a ridiculously bold necklace by Kate Spade and called it a day. 

Anna said I looked hot and I believed her. I didn’t have a date on my arm - I went to the wedding with my parents and my little sister and the bride was 5 years younger than me…but Anna sent me enough text messages of encouragement to make me truly feel beautiful. If you ever get the chance, be that kind of friend. The one who knows the wedding might be a little painful and therefore demands pictures so she can heap on the love. The kind of friend who takes the potential for a tinge of pain as an opportunity to bless. The one who isn’t there in person and yet finds the way to soften the ache and longing and becomes a part of God’s whispers of hope and promise. We really do have the capacity to be healing balm in the lives of our loved ones - we just have to hear their hearts, listen to their needs, and lean in…it isn’t easy and it won’t always eliminate the tears…but together is so much better than alone. A dutch braid and side bun with bold eyes and shockingly red lips isn’t really a big deal, but on Saturday night feeling beautiful mattered more than I can explain - and Anna knew - and she decided to love loud enough to make me hear her over my noise. I want to choose to be THAT kind of love - THAT kind of friend - to draw close - and to make a difference because I really do believe it matters.