U R My Friend So I Promise …

U R My Friend, so I promise:

to love you when you are messy and life is messy and things are hard.
to believe in the best of you even when you’ve made mistakes.
to lean in and listen to your heart, and hold you when you need it.
to be a sounding board who doesn’t always echo back unless you want me to.
to make it all about you sometimes, to forget my needs and lift yours extra high.
to be honest with you, to tell you the truth in the right way at the right time, prayer be the guard over my lips.
to pick up the phone and call you when I need to hear your voice.
to pick up the phone when I know you need to hear mine.

Pioneer Girls, Rebecca Friedlander

You are my Friend, so I promise …

to trust you have my best interest at heart – to be vulnerable, knowing I may get hurt.
to respect your need for time or silence or space.
to wait when you need me to wait.
to stop talking when you say stop.
to give you room to breathe when you need it.
to figure out your buttons and not push them.
to respect you at all times (even when you are not respecting yourself).
to remember that you are but grass, here one day and gone tomorrow. Since tomorrow is promised to no one, I promise to make your day brighter because I’m in it.
to help you write your legacy, build your dreams, and become all that you can be.
to pray for you, even when you hurt me, or leave me wounded and longing for your presence.
to love you without condition, but to do what is best for me too, and if that means letting you go — know that I will miss you, that I am FOR you always, and I will still be your friend if you need one.
to help you find God’s best path for you, knowing that perfection isn’t the goal, but excellence is.
to help you grow and become the person God has destined you to be.
to be thankful for you, and to let you know the ways you’ve blessed my life and made it richer because you’ve been in it.

Friendship

U R My Friend, so I promise.

We are doing a lot of talking about friendship around the Strickland home as of late, with our daughter being 13 and all. One of our goals this year is to be better friends. If that’s yours too, feel free to share this poem with someone you consider a friend.

(the photograph of the dancing girls is by my friend, Rebecca Friedlander, of God’s Image Photography, who produced the documentary about my story.)

Love,

January 8, 2015

Author: Jennifer

Categories: Faithful Friendships, The Power of Gratitude, The Power of Love, You Are More

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About the Author: Jennifer

Jennifer Strickland is a wife, mom, TEDx speaker, and former professional model. She is the author of Girl Perfect, More Beautiful Than You Know, and Beautiful Lies, among other books and Bible studies that teach women their worth in God’s eyes. Since leaving the modeling industry, she founded URMore.org, a non-profit ministry that provides resources to hurting women and girls. Her favorite moments are found working on the family ranch with her husband, who she calls “the Cowboy”; in her kitchen, concocting a new version of her famous spaghetti; or spending time with their three precious children.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING

At the age of 18, I was recovering from an eating disorder, cutting, and suicide when I read Jennifer Strickland’s book Girl Perfect and it changed my life. At the age of 33, as I travel the world reaching youth for the gospel, this is the only book I recommend to girls who are struggling. The Lord has truly anointed Jennifer’s words through her story, not only to address the struggles of today’s generation of girls, but also to walk them through the healing necessary for victory.

Christina Boudreau

Jennifer is a captivating speaker. She keeps the listener hanging in wonder of what’s coming next! Her presentation is not only absorbing, it reveals the truth of God’s power to heal a wounded spirit.

Barbara Brown

Barbara Brown, Former Stonecroft Ministries Regional Representative, San Diego, CA

“The ‘P’ word [perfection] may be the heaviest burden women bear. All the misguided things we do to attain it can keep us away from what we need most – the unconditional love of God the Father. The Girl Perfect Study Guide gives you a map to the wholeness you were created for.”

Nancy Ortberg

Nancy Ortberg, author and former teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church

“The Girl Perfect Study Guide shatters the lies girls and women believe and points to the ultimate truth, which really does set us free. I am confident that this study will help thousands discover a beauty, purpose, and worth that truly lasts. Thank you Jen for exposing the ‘perfect life’ and inviting girls to experience God’s ‘perfect love.'”

Allie Marie Smith

Allie Marie Smith, Founder of Wonderfully Made

One of the best testaments to what Jennifer is doing for the young girls and women of today is a comment from my eleven-year-old granddaughter: “Grammy, I want to read this book and hear her again. She’s good and I learned a lot.” This is exactly what I experienced from a grown-up perspective when I was introduced to Jennifer Strickland’s amazing story. Read it and see if you don’t get the real story from an icon model and a powerful speaker of truth.”