i got a glimpse of what one of my friends was like as a little boy, and it really grieved me. he was hurt by a lot of people, and really missed out on people loving on him well and real community until the last few years. it's easy for me to forget that the person i see in front of me isn't the person that has always been. i know how much growth i've seen in him this year, but i can forget how different things might have been before i even knew him. listening to another part of his story made me think about a few things:

1. how thankful i am to have him in my life. i've told him numerous times, but i don't know if it has sunk in. he is really special to me. he is one person that has consistently cared for me without expectation of my response.

2. how much i want to pour into people. i want people to be loved on well, to find "home" with people who love them and to be known. i think it's what i've wanted for as long as i can remember, but it is nice to have it confirmed.

3. how good God is at telling the story of redemption in our lives. as hard as it was to hear what a difficult and lonely childhood my friend had experienced, it was also encouraging to hear how God has redeemed those hard parts of his story. because of it, he's really good at connecting with kids, asking good questions and caring for people.

thank you for making beautiful things out of us, Jesus.