What does friendship look like after more than 40 years?

In this episode, I’m joined by my mum, Beth, and one of her closest friends, Jan. They met at church as young married women more than four decades ago, and since then they’ve walked through so many seasons of life together — raising children, changing churches, grief and difficult family seasons, becoming grandparents, growing in faith and plenty of ordinary life in between.

We talk about what has made their friendship last, the importance of honesty, being able to pick up the phone after months apart, and why good friendship doesn’t have to mean being exactly alike.

Beth and Jan also share some beautiful stories of the ways God has met them through their friendship — praying for one another when words were hard to find, showing up in grief without trying to fix it, and even an incredible moment when God gave them both the same picture independently of each other.

It’s a conversation about friendship, faith, prayer, church community and the gift of having people who will simply keep showing up through the different seasons of life.

Links & resources mentioned

Lectio 365
Beth talks about using Lectio 365 as part of her morning time with God. It’s a daily devotional and prayer app from 24-7 Prayer. You can download the app or go to Lectio 365.

In this episode we talk about:
• friendship through more than 40 years of changing seasons
• showing up when there are no words
• praying for your friends — and actually stopping to pray with them
• honesty and trust in long-term friendship
• allowing your friends to be different from you
• hearing from God and an incredible moment when Beth and Jan received the same picture
• why friendship doesn’t need to keep score
• the importance of church and Christian community
• what Beth and Jan are seeing God do in their lives right now

If you’ve ever been grateful for a friend who has walked beside you through different seasons — or you’re currently longing for that kind of friendship and community — I hope this conversation encourages you.

This is our Village 🤍