Making Friends

I suppose making friends is something a little new for me... I lived in the same city for 21 years.  I always had at least one or two friends wherever I went.  Making friends is not something I've really been educated in.  I'm also, honestly, not great at keeping friends... but that's a topic for a different day.

Every time I meet a woman here, I think, "Hmmmm... maybe she'll be my Longview friend!"  But usually I do or say something stupid, or I can't seem to say anything recognizable as words at all.  

The women at TECH are all very nice.  They also don't need another friend.  Everyone seems to have their lives here, and no one really seems like they're looking for an additional person to spend extra time with.  (Everyone is very busy!)

I was thinking about what I should do to make friends.  Maybe I could come up with some great jokes.  (I decided that's not a good, normal idea, probably.)  Maybe I could announce the things I'm interested in, and see if anyone has the same interests in common... (That was much too self-centered.)

Well, really, I am a nervous wreck about meeting people, still.  Today Joel went with Matt and me to his home church, Fellowship Bible.  Matt went there while he was here two years ago, and we visited three times before.  Anyway, a person that I've hung out with three times before here in Longview saw me there at church, and just smiled.  She didn't come say hi--- and she wasn't talking to anyone else.  She just smiled and looked away.  That confirmed my thoughts that she didn't really like me.  (I had suspicions---or paranoia.)

Joel, after the service, introduced us to several people from the singles group there.  They were very nice people who were, seemingly, genuinely interested in Matt and me.   They invited us to go to lunch with them, so we joined them.  Melissa, Larry's daughter (you met him in an earlier video), was there, too!  Although everyone was so nice, I was an awkward fit.  My sense of humor isn't as great as my mom thinks it is...  :0)

After lunch, Joel, Melissa, Matt and I stood talking in the parking lot for quite awhile!  She told me about the women's Bible study at her church Thursday nights, and she even said that they are working the Beth Moore's Esther book!  (I'm halfway through it!--- so are they!)  Long story short, we're going to go together Thursday, and Matt is going to go to the men's Bible study at the same time!  We're very excited.  

So, I suppose I didn't have to come up with any cool friend-making tactics.  And I think it's okay if I AM awkward.  Melissa seems to be fine with it, and she seems like someone who is very easy to get along with.  She's even shy, which is a lot like two of my few close friends!  I am hoping that we'll become friends... at least that I'll be someone she'll come up to and say hi, and vice versa.  Oh!  And she lives a few blocks away from me!  That's exciting. 

 I didn't know that I'd struggle so much in the friendship-making area.  I guess, if you remember to, this could be a prayer request!  Please pray that I don't scare Melissa away by being so lonely.   :0)