Tag: Friendship

I Got Your Mat

Published on by katherinebryant26781 Comment

One of the top items on my bucket list has always been to ride a mechanical bull. I have absolutely no idea why or how that made it to the top of my list other than I’ve always loved the soundtrack to Urban Cowboy, which features a picture of John Travolta riding a mechanical bull on the album cover.

Regardless, whatever the reason, it’s been a dream for as long as I can remember.

So, imagine my delight last April when my high school friends and I took a girls’ trip to Nashville. I knew this was my chance to make my dream come true, and I . . . was . . . pumped!

Oddly enough, there aren’t as many mechanical bulls in Nashville as you might think. Hot chicken on every corner—you bet! Mechanical bulls—not so much.

But my girls were bound and determined to find me a bull, and after a lot of time on the Google, they came up with two options.

The first bull was located at an establishment with a name that would make you blush, and we decided no self-respecting ladies from Rock Hill would dare cross that threshold. Our mamas raised us better than that, after all.

But my crew wasn’t about to call of the search so quickly. We kept looking and finally found a bull at an upstanding establishment, Nashville Underground, so we pulled on our boots and headed down Broadway to check an item off my bucket list.

When we arrived, there was a bit of a crowd, but that wasn’t going to slow us down. Ashley headed straight for the front of the line and sweet talked the bouncer into helping us out. (Bless him, he probably realized we were up way past our bedtime and felt sorry for us!)

We were in, and I was ready!

Long story short, riding that mechanical bull was as thrilling and memorable as I ever imagined.

When it was my turn, I hiked up my dress*, hopped into the saddle, and hung on for dear life as that bull bucked me around and around. And even though I got thrown off multiple times and could barely walk the next day, it was totally worth it, thanks in large part to the laughter and encouragement of dear friends.

Looking back, the whole experience reminds me of the story in Luke 5 of the friends who outsmart the crowd and lower their paralyzed friend’s mat through the roof so Jesus can heal him.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Katherine, you can’t possibly be comparing your friends’ dedication to finding you a mechanical bull to the paralyzed man’s friends’ loyalty in taking him to Jesus for a miracle.”

Well, technically, this is my blog, and I can write whatever my little heart desires, but no, I agree, that does seem like a bit of a stretch. However, this comparison isn’t so much about the mechanical bull.

It’s more about the fact that four months later, when my mom died, this same group of friends showed up again to truly carry me through. They, along with so many others, picked me up at my lowest point and demonstrated the power of Jesus’ healing love.

I would imagine the paralyzed man was thankful for Jesus the day he was healed, but I would also wager he was even more grateful for his friends, for without them, he never would have seen Jesus. It was their faith that led to his miracle.

I know how he felt.

My friends’ love, support, memories, and laughter carried me through then and continue to lift me up even now. Their faith and their actions are tangible reminders that even when life gets heavy, Jesus is right here with us, and he uses others to lighten our load.

So, let’s all strive to be more like the paralyzed man’s friends. Let’s do what we can to lift each other up. Let’s carry each other through the hard times and celebrate together in the good ones.

After all, one thing is for certain: There will be times in life when we get bucked right off the proverbial bull, but with the love and support of faithful friends, we can dust ourselves off and get back in the saddle, ready to ride a full eight seconds and make our dreams come true.

*A word to future Nashville travelers: If you think there’s any chance your evening will end up with you on the back of a bull, DO NOT wear a dress! Sure, I looked really cute, but it made for a seriously awkward dismount. #thankgoodnessforspanx.

Call Me . . . Maybe?

Published on by katherinebryant26782 Comments

“Get in the car, guys! We’re running late! Hurry! Hurry!”

That’s how July 30, 2021, started for us as Reeves, Brooks, and I scrambled to get in the car. We were heading to Asbury Hills to pick Jackson up from camp, and we were way behind schedule. I had loaded the boys into my trusty Pilot and was climbing into the front seat when my phone rang.

Now, as a general rule, I detest talking on the phone and avoid it whenever possible. My friends know this about me, and on more than one occasion, I’ve answered the phone to the words, “I know you don’t like talking on the phone, but this will just take a sec.” Answering the phone when I was already stressed from running late was totally out of character for me.

When I glanced down at the caller ID, I saw it was my friend Margaret, who likes to play fast and loose with my “Don’t call me, I’ll call you” rule anyway. I don’t know what possessed me, but I answered the phone, even though I was cranking my car and trying to hit the road. And, man, was I glad I did. Turned out, I was only trying to crank my car. My trusty Pilot was dead as a doornail. How were we going to get to Jackson?

In a panic, I relayed this untimely development to Margaret, and Margaret being Margaret, she immediately offered to let me borrow her car, a sweet Honda Odyssey van complete with a DVD player and push-button start–fancy! With self-closing doors, Jungle 2 Jungle on the big screen, and captain’s chairs, the boys were in heaven. Best.RoadTrip.Ever. To think, we would have missed out on all of the fun, not to mention picking up Jackson, if I hadn’t answered the phone.

Sometimes I wonder if I’m doing the same thing with God. Am I ignoring his calls?

The short answer is yes. I have put him on hold and sent him to voicemail more than I’d like to admit. But that’s the great thing about God. He is, quite possibly, the most obnoxious and annoying telemarketer ever. He keeps on calling. Even when I try to ignore him because I’m too busy or too scared to talk, he doesn’t give up. He keeps calling. As Paul writes in I Thessalonians 5:24, “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” And aren’t we thankful that he is and he does? Imagine the blessings we wouldn’t experience if he never hit redial. The best part is we can have faith that if he calls, he will equip us with what we need to answer.

What is God calling you to do? Is it to take that first step or mend that relationship? Is it to reach out to an old friend or try something new? Is it to extend an invitation or put an idea into action? Whatever it is, let’s make a pact to answer when God calls us. It may be scary at first, and it may require us to step out of our comfort zones, but we may be pleasantly surprised by all the good things that follow when we pick up the phone, so to speak.

So, what are you waiting for? Your phone is ringing. Answer the call.

Who’s Your Ethel?

Published on by katherinebryant26781 Comment

I was in a group text the other day when one of the members sent a GIF of Lucille Ball, writing she feels a lot like Lucy these days. I can totally relate, as  I, too, have crazy curly hair, a loud laugh that often gets me in trouble, and a patient husband who has looked at me more than once and said, “You got some ‘splainin’ to do.”

But I knew that’s not really what she meant. She was talking more about the chaos of Lucy’s life, and I got that too because as soon as I read the text, I immediately thought of the famous chocolate factory episode of I Love Lucy.

Black And White Chocolate GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY
Lucy and Ethel build their skills and their friendship at the chocolate factory in the hilarious
“Job Switching” episode.

Over the past six months, I have felt exactly like Lucy in this scene– overwhelmed, out of control, and stuffed full of chocolate. Perhaps you can relate? I feel like I have all of these responsibilities coming at me, and before I can get one wrapped up, the next one is passing me by. The world seems to be moving in super speed, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t keep up.

As I thought of this scene and my own ever-growing to-do list, I could feel my blood pressure rising, the stress creeping in. But then I realized I was focusing on the wrong thing. Instead of fixating on the out-of-control conveyor belt, maybe, just maybe, I should shift my focus to something else, or more specifically, someone else . . . Ethel.

In this episode, and pretty much every other one too, Ethel is right there beside Lucy the whole time. Even when things get really out of control and they know they’re going to get fired, Ethel stays loyal. Think how easy it would be for Ethel to throw her arms in the air and tell Lucy she’s on her own, that Lucy got herself into this crazy mess, she can get herself out of it. But Ethel doesn’t. She just keeps shoving bonbons in her mouth and hiding them in her hat, all to keep her friend afloat.

The past six months have been stressful, to say the least, but they have also made me realize how thankful I am to be surrounded by an amazing group of Ethels. When my mom was diagnosed with pneumonia and then Covid in July, making it necessary for me to go to Rock Hill for almost three weeks while Alex held down the fort in Columbia, my Ethels showed up and showed up big. They were there bringing us meals (and margaritas!), buying my boys’ school supplies, and even washing our clothes when our washing machine up and died. You know someone is a good friend when you’ll allow them to handle your family’s unmentionables!

Even in the midst of their own runaway conveyor belts, my Ethels have been there to talk, to listen, to pray, and to cry with me whenever I have needed them. And best of all, like Ethel and Lucy at the chocolate factory, we have had some big laughs in the midst of the chaos.

Sometimes it’s scary to let our friends help us. Society has created this myth that women have to do it all by ourselves or else we’re weak or somehow inadequate. Y’all, that’s a lie. We need each other. We’re stronger when we work together. And we have to trust that when our Ethels offer to help, they sincerely want to.

I read once that when we turn down help, we have taken away a friend’s chance to serve, the chance for her to be the hands and feet of Jesus. I don’t know about you, but that’s not something I want to get in the way of. This summer, I had to learn to say, “You know what, that would actually be a really big help. Thank you.” I’ll admit, it didn’t come naturally at first, but like most other things, the more I did it, the easier it became. And now that life is settling back down a bit, I look forward to returning the help.

So, in this season of gift giving, let’s think about what we’re truly thankful for. Or, more importantly, who we’re truly thankful for. Who’s your Ethel? Here’s to her, and here’s to all the Ethels . . . We need you. We love you. We couldn’t do life without you, nor would we want to.