mallory, it's your birthday.

today is mallory's birthday.

she is one of my best friends and also just happens to be one of my favorite people.

we became friends in college and i was SUPER intimidated by her and never thought we'd be friends. go figure. one spring break we traveled to gulf port, mississippi together to serve after hurricane katrina had devastated the gulf coast. it was on that trip that i saw her passion to serve and love people in order to live out the gospel. mallory is one friend who i struggle to find ways to serve. it's not because i don't want to, it's just she always seems to beat me to it. she sees a need and she meets it, no questions, no exceptions.

in college we were grey's anatomy fanatics back when it wasn't super trashy. it became a routine for us to order take-out (sesame chicken from jade china to be exact) and we would meet at my house. one particular week i was going to buy her dinner because she had done that for me more times than i could count. i made up some excuse about needing to run some errands or something beforehand and so i told her i would just call it in & pick it up on the way back to my house. i actually thought that i had out-smarted her that time and found a small way to serve her, but no. we got off the phone and she drives to jade china. she tells the woman what the order would be so she could pay for it. so i get to jade china to pick up the food and they say "don't worry about it" and i said "no, please, let me pay for it." the sweet little lady who we grew to love said "no, no, your friend came in and paid for it."

i was so frustrated.

so humbled.

and that is just one of the 782 times that something like that has happened.

mallory serves all the time.

she's the friend that will travel at crazy, ridiculous hours to visit her friends. if you want to go on an adventure she'll always go. if you have surgery 1, 4 or 8 times she'll drive 3 hours to make it to the hospital just before visiting hours are up to let you know that she is praying. oh, and she'll come with a pumpkin or some other random gift to make you laugh. she loves Jesus, but doesn't pretend to have it all figured out. she asks questions and doesn't shy away from the difficult.

her birthday is today and i am so grateful for her life. everyone should get to have a friend like mallory. a friendship that is one depicting iron sharpening iron:

it's not always pretty--sparks fly.

but it is so good.

so real.

mallory is the friend who will be my friend forever. she will be a bridesmaid in my wedding someday. we will require our kids to be best friends. i look forward to being friends for the next 75 years.

being her friend is one of my greatest joys and today i am so thankful for a day to celebrate her.

mallory, hope this year is the best yet.

love you, mean it.