Day 26 of Gratitude - Josh Shanklin
31 Days of Gratitude - In an attempt to publicly express my gratitude for the people that have impacted me in some way in 2015, I'm setting out to write one post a day sharing what I appreciate about them or what moment that marked me. Some of these people I know well, some I've only met, and some I'm just getting to know. There is no ranking to these posts and they aren't meant to put anyone on a pedestal. They, like you and I, are imperfect people with their own flaws, some you may have experienced. Despite those flaws, I believe we all need to have our positive characteristics called into light and celebrated. This is that attempt.
I would have never guessed that one of my best friends would have been made after we bought a house in a neighborhood we knew little about, and he'd live on my street just a few doors down. Michelle and I met Josh and his family before we even bought our house and got to know each other as we started renovating our place before moving in. Since then, our families have become good friends. They've since moved away, but our relationship continues to grow and deepen just like lifelong friends do. We're still pretty bitter about them leaving our street, but we love that they follow the Spirit-led promptings towards life-giving opportunities even if it means making challenging decisions to leave those they love behind.
I'm grateful for friendship that can still grow and develop despite distance. I appreciate how much Josh and I can relate with one another, which creates a relationship that's transparent and gives space for asking big questions and challenging assumptions. I appreciate the dreamer nature of Josh and how he leads and teaches others from that spirit. I love how he and his wife parent their daughters and have included them in everything. They're daughters are loved well and it shows in the character their daughters have developed so far.
Most of all, I'm grateful for Josh's friendship and care of that. I'm always looking forward to our next conversation, hangout, or text conversation that usually includes razzing each other about something. Thanks for being a friend, Josh! Now, GO HOME. (Inside joke of when our daughter was about 2 and could yell at Josh to go home as he'd leave our house to walk home.)
