I’m sorry to get so fired up, but I love you.

That was how a friend ended a page long text to me.

She had only asked how I was doing,

probably expecting a normal upbeat response.

But she caught me in a moment of hurt.

And she’s the kind of friend you tell things to.

So I gave her a brief explanation of what had happened

and how much guilt I was feeling about the situation.

I had interrupted her day and her own struggles with my problems, 

and she had every right to brush me off.

To just say “it will be ok” or “don’t worry about it.”

But instead, she spoke back with so much truth.

Truth about God.

Truth about the situation.

And truth about my character.

She didn’t bad mouth the other people involved.

She didn’t say I was in the right just to make me feel better.

But she spoke truth.

Truth that I needed to hear.

Truth that I read over and over again that day.

Do you have someone in your life to speak truth into you?

If you do, what a blessing.

And if you don’t, maybe now is the time to invest in a sweet new friendship.

Because hear me when I say, it matters.

It matters who you surround yourself with.

It matters that you surround yourself with people who lift you up 

instead of tearing you down.

It matters that you surround yourself with people who speak truth into you

rather than just telling you what you want to hear.

It matters that you surround yourself with people who pray for you 

instead of talking about you behind your back.

It matters that you surround yourself with people who are in your corner,

through the good and the bad.

It matters that you surround yourself with people

who get fired up when you are hurting.

Because they love you that much.