I love her....

[Serenity]

<div align="center">An Unexpected Friendship</div>



For the past four summers I have been attending Christian Youth in Action, also known as CYIA. Christian Youth in Action is a program that teaches teens how to evangelize to children age four to twelve. The methods you learn about evangelism work for witnessing to your peers, but mainly for younger children. My life has changed dramatically because I have attended CYIA, but the people there have been crucial to the many changes. One person in particular has made a huge difference in my life. Without him I would not be the person I am today, and I would not know what it was like to trust someone without knowing them.


The second year I attended CYIA I met many people. Among them was a kid just a year younger than me whose name was Sean. I never really talked to him that first year he came, but I knew he was from Great Falls. That’s about all I ever found out about him. Summer slipped away, and I did not feel that much had changed.


During CYIA of 2006 I got to know Sean a little better. We actually spoke to each other more than we had the year before. After training we talked online. At first I did not want to talk to him. He was not the sort of person I wanted to get to know. I had tons of other friends to talk to, but I decided not to be rude and continued to listen to his tale.


Then one day he shocked us both. Sean started spilling out his life story to me. Not only was I shocked, but I was also confused. Why was he telling me all this? What is so special about me that he can trust me with this? To this day I do not know why he told me all about himself, but it kept me talking to him. Sean seemed down each time I spoke with him. I was worried about what was going on, and I finally realized that Sean was very depressed.


Neither of us knew why he trusted me, but because he explained his life to me, I felt I needed to continue talking to him. Maybe it was because I realized that if he was as depressed as he seemed that he might do something horrible to himself. For some reason I did not want Sean to hurt himself. I cared about everyone at CYIA, but Sean seemed to be top on my priority list. Things changed when he realized I knew he was depressed. Every day I would sign online and search for his screen name. When Sean realized that I would talk to him as often as I could, he found out that someone in the world really cared about him.
We suddenly became friends. It’s amazing how my attitude towards Sean changed that summer. He told me that because I talked to him he was able to get passed his depression. His statement made me think about what kind of person I was and could be. Throughout that school year we spoke often, and slowly our friendship grew. We both had struggles, and we discussed them with each other. Sometimes one of us needed to vent and the other was always there to listen. Being so open with Sean made our friendship that much stronger.



At the beginning of this summer, June 2007, I attended CYIA for my fourth year. I had decided that it would be my last year there, but that I would come and visit for the next few summers. Sean returned for his third year, and we were both excited for training. It was great to see him after a whole year.



This year I was a student leader, meaning I was in charge of helping listen to Bible lessons and Missionary stories. As a fourth year I was able to enjoy this privilege. Sadly, Sean and I did not get to chat often during training. During recreation one day Sean and I collided which resulted in me getting injured. He felt horrible and apologized profusely every day after. I tried to let him know that I was alright even though it hurt like crazy. It seems that that event made us closer friends as well.
Throughout the summer, Sean and I have kept in touch. We still talk online, and I’ve learned that I may possibly have the gift of exhortation which might explain why I tried to help him feel better last summer. The two of us also have conversations with the director of Eastern Montana and part of North Dakota, Luke, and my good friend, Reilly, every now and then. With the four of us discussing, things can get confusing, but I always learn something each time. As a group of friends, we encourage each other to be what God wants us to be, and I find that helpful. If we weren’t great friends that prayed for each other, I know that things would not work out.


I have found that because I spoke with Sean last summer I am able to care more about people in general. Our friendship can only be described as God-given, for I do not believe we would be friends without it being God’s desire. Sean, Luke, and Reilly have been great encouragements to me, and I pray that we will continue to watch out for one another while reminding each other to look to God first and foremost. God placed it on my heart to be Sean’s friend, and I know He gave me Sean, Luke, and Reilly as a network of Christian friends to help me through the tough times after I have gone to Him. There is a verse that I think of every time the four of us chat together. The verse is Philippians 1:3. “I thank my God every time I remember you.�


I love her so much...

My best friend wrote this about me for homework. We've been best friends for a year now, and I love her so much...

I hope you guys understand me a bit more now...

[zfan]

That was beautiful man. You pwn. Rock on brah.

[Serenity]

Thanks....

She's the best....

I'm talkin' to her now...

I love her so much....

[aspect]

Wow. If I could write like that...

*tear*

[.pulse]

wow.. thats crazy

[Serenity]

I know...

I wish, I really do, that I could explain how I feel to her....Without ruining our friendship...

I cried, and still cry, when I read it...

[Where Did Cloud Go?]

Thats really awesome man :)

My advice would be to not right out tell her you love her (That will most likely creep her out) but say you really like her and you enjoy spending time with her, that she is the reason you aren't deppressed anymore.

I'm sure she will understand how you feel, and if she doesn't feel the same way, she would proably say it softly, in a way that would effect your friendship.

My best friend once said "I true friend stabs you in the front, but a real true friend doesn't stab you at all."

It might not sound to cohesive (He was a bit tipsy then tbh) but I really think it makes alot of sense.

So, si nce shes your best friend I doubt anythnig could come between your relationship.

Well, goodluck man, its awesome you have someone that cares so much about you, I hope everyone is as loved (In one way or another) as you. :D

:drinks:

[Serenity]

Thanks dude....

She already knows that she is the reason I'm not depressed anymore.

It's awesome having a friend like her...

I love her dude. XD

I can't say it enough...

[Sephi]

i didn't understand what the story was about until i read the "love her" part a few times, lol. That's pretty nice. I've got a few really close chick friends that are always their for me .. and i help them out ALOT.. She must be a really special person :)

[Blue Bird]

Nice Story, very nice from your friend.

[Serenity]

Yeah...

See....

She had to write an essay on someone who meant a lot to her.

She chose me.

I think it is A++ work, but that's just me...:whistle:

[An1ken]

That was great dude sheesh gl with letting her know etc

One thing I want to get straight you are Sean?

[Serenity]

>_>

I'm billly. <_<

Yeah, I'm sean...

Do you know me? O_O

[An1ken]

Nope just asking if you stay in South Africa or in England I might know you!!!! Depends what your surname is though :P

[Serenity]

Does America count as either of those? >_>

Eh, Lowry.. >_>>_>>_>

[An1ken]

Naaa soz man hahah see you need help with css coding invite me on msn can maybe direct you in the way you could go

[pepsi]

:((

[Absolute]

Well done dude you acted well. If you help others you will find it will be good for you as well. something like this has happened to me before.

[Serenity]

heheh

Thanks guys. ^_^

[mikeyy209]

:mellow4:
Wow, That was just...... just beutiful.
I don't think I have ever heard something so touching.

This also saddens me it reminds me of a friend......... Who I doubt I will ever meet again.

[Blue Bird]

That was awesome...When i started reading i thought i cant be bothered but then yeah.

[iLime]

woah thats some bloody dam good writing :S. i can never do anything as good as that and its really touchy (is that what u call it)??

[murch]

im not very religious, but thats kinda cool, happy there friends

[An1ken]

I agree to all said above and Trix I want to speak to you

[Holy]

Oh my goodness. I just burst into tears. That was so amazing. It's unbelievable how god can impact peoples lives so much. Give her a hug for me. :smilie2:

[Alk]

Aww.... *sniff* *wipes tear* Aww....

[Serenity]

Oh wow...

I thought this was DEAD.

Thanks guys.

If you would like to talk to me, or anything like that, you can contact me via PM here, or instant messaging and e-mailing HERE

angel_of_legions@hotmail.com

By the way, my other topic, Serenity, is in response to this one.

Here is MY essay in dedication to her.

<div align="center">Serenity</div>

Depression. The dark, empty void of emotionless life, or so it seemed. The temporary life in which you feel unnecessary. The feeling, not emotion, in which you don’t matter. The aching scratch at the back of your brain that tells you that all you had is gone and your purpose in this life is over, or so it seemed. I remember all of these feelings; thinking life was over, thinking that no one cared nor would miss me. My dad left me, gone to be with his net-girlfriend, and forced me to live with my mom. Sadly, he blatantly stated, though indirectly, that his new life meant more to him than his own son. The feelings of utter confusion crept into my mind. The shock of realizing no one cared had been implanted into my nine-year-old brain. When he finally came back, he forced me to go to church with him, something I loathed at the time, and through that, the remnants of life, what little I had left, began working themselves into the process of mending. God had found His way into my life.
Through nine-year-old eyes, I witnessed a change. This one wasn’t myself; I was so lost in depression that finding me was impossible; but in my dad who had been terribly wrong about life. Having been to church a little less than three years, he forced me into accepting Christ with him. I was disgusted. I had hated him for making me do it, but I masked myself in a false Christianity, which became so much apart of me that I soon believed it. Because of that belief, though, I met her.
Having lived that lie of my faith, my life, I had given John, a dear friend, a falsehood impression. Through that impression, he asked me to go to Christian Youth in Action, CYIA for short, training that summer to be a summer missionary and teach kids about God and Jesus. I wanted the money, nothing more.
Training, as I will call it now, started right after school got out. My bags were packed and ready. John had shown up at my dad’s house, where I was spending the weekend at, and we left at 8:00 A.M. that Tuesday morning. Throwing our stuff in the trunk and getting settled in, we left for Billings, Montana. We were going to Training.
I was new; I could feel it. No one wanted to talk to a new kid. No one would talk regardless. We didn’t know each other. Confused looks were shot across the room. We were nervous. That is all I remember about Training, except for meeting Sarah. She wasn’t too interested in talking to me, though, so it didn’t really affect me.
Summer that year came and went. School was back in session, and I was in eighth grade. I was almost out of middle school; I was one step closer to growing up. Again, though, John told me to go to Training with him. Of course, I had to say yes. Over the summer, John had told me to get a computer program called MSN Messenger as soon as Training let out. I wanted to share my new e-mail address with everyone. School crept on, and soon had ended. I was a freshman.
Training, once again, started right after school got out, and we headed down there, to Billings, for it. We got there, did our learning, and met someone who was new: Luke Fell. He had been hard on us, helping us go through life living it for God.
At the campfire that Training had, though, Luke had done the impossible, though I know it was God using him. Luke had receded some of my depression. God had, through Luke, told me that He loved me. For the first time in ages, I cried like a baby. That night, though, I had truly believed on Christ and accepted Him. But the void inside me was still there, still waiting for someone, or something, to fill it. Training ended. We got our contact directories for the others at Training, and went home.
Sarah Fry, my soon-to-be best friend, had gotten MSN Messenger that summer, so I added her; she was someone to talk to. She would log on every once in a while, and we’d say a few words to each other. She didn’t want to talk to me; she had better things to do.
All it took to change my life, though, was one day. July 17 was a bright sunny day, but I was slowly falling deeper into depression. My mom had yelled at me, my step dad always did, and my sister was being difficult. I was fighting a losing battle. I went to my computer in hopes of finding an escape from life for a bit. I logged onto MSN, and Sarah was on. Without knowing who she was, or if I could trust her, I messaged her saying I needed help, and badly. She messaged back asking what was wrong. Depression was grabbing at me once again.
Without thinking of what I was doing, without knowing what I was typing, I had told Sarah everything. Sarah sat there, reading what I had typed, slowly growing more and more worried about me. Every secret that I had, every lie I’ve told, every single thing that added to my depression was told to her. She listened, and worried; she, unlike everyone else, showed that she cared, even though I didn’t realize it at the time.
I sat there, dying on the inside, waiting for Sarah to reply. Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes seemed like hours. Eternity seemed to pass before she typed that one simple word: wow. Looking at that word made me realize what I had done; I had just told my entire life story to someone I barely knew, and that person was a girl! It was shocking.
Soon after telling my story to her, she had to go. I was left, once again, alone. But something was different. I still felt like no one cared, and was still depressed, but the weight on my shoulders was lifted. Someone knew. I didn’t have to go it alone. That day carried on. My family constantly yelling at me and my feeling down was normal.
The next day was almost a repeat of the first, just less yelling. Again, I disappeared onto the computer, wanting an escape. As soon as I logged on, Sarah messaged me, wondering how I was doing. She kept asking me if I was alright and what was up. She had really shown that she cared, and that was what changed my life. That moment, that entire week, was when I realized that someone out there cared for my well-being.
Every day after that, Sarah and I have talked. We would confide in each other and talk to each other when we needed to. We, slowly but surely, became the best of friends, although it was only an internet-based friendship. By showing me that she cared, I slowly grew happier; I was leaving my depression. Sarah had helped me, and in turn, I helped her with her own problems. We were, and still are, some of the closest, best friends.
Since Sarah and I started talking, I realized how much I had sunk into that depression. I really was lost in it. I hated life, and wanted it to end, but Sarah and God kept with me. It took many months, but I had finally gotten passed it, I had beaten the depression, for the most part, and was happy. Someone had shown me that I mattered to them. It felt awesome.
Sarah and I kept a loose contact with each other all last year, talking occasionally on MSN about how our day or week has been so far. The days turned to weeks, and those into months, and soon it was time to return to CYIA Training, once again. I was excited; this was the first time Sarah and I had seen each other in a year. There was a problem, though. Driver’s Education was taking place over the summer, and I had signed up. The course interfered with Training. I couldn’t go.
The weeks dragged on, and school was drawing to an end. The Driver’s Ed schedule came out, and I found out that I could go to Training. Excitement flooded through me, and I started filling out the application to go. I could see my friends, and Sarah, again.
School had ended, and Training had started. I was happy. I got the last spot to go, and I was going to see Sarah again. John, again, got excited that we would return for training.
I packed my bags and loaded them into the car. We were headed back to Billings. Training was our natural home. It was College with a lot less classes.
Sarah and Reilly, another CYIA’er, were unloading their bags and carrying them into their dorm when we arrived. With a quick wave, Sarah said hi, and left.
Training started, and John and I noticed that Luke Fell was back, and off his crutches. He was also more laid back than the year before, and immediately started joking around with us, and gave me a brotherly hug. I was back home with my family, and it felt good.
Throughout training, Luke and I grew closer. We learned the trials each had gone through, and helped each other stay with God. When training ended, Luke and I kept in contact via MSN and phone. Soon after, I drug Sarah into the phone calls. That was when we started our prayer group. That group brought all of us closer together. Because of that group, I have been able to realize how much I really have changed since meeting Sarah and becoming a true Christian.
I guess that I chose to write about this particular moment in my life because I believe that it has had one of, if not the most, dramatic effects on my life. Because of this moment in my life, I am a different being entirely.
The moment also taught me responsibility. My responsibility as a friend is to talk and let my friends know what is going on in my life. If I don’t, I can’t assume that they will know what’s up, and won’t be able to help me at all.
Sarah and Luke have been there for me almost five months, but Sarah herself has helped me for a little over a year. I still struggle with bouts of depression, but nothing as severe as a year ago. Sarah has been there to help me through it. She has been there almost every step of the way, encouraging me to keep fighting. I couldn’t have asked for a better best friend.

Enjoy guys.

[Knowledge]

Tear. Very touching.

[Harlequin_]

That is so sweet. :) Hope your friendship lasts!

[Serenity]

Ironic how you should say that, because I think it just ended last night...