Washing Dishes with Jesus

Tonight my in-laws came over for dinner. We ate some chili and cornbread, munched on sweets, played a little cards, caught up on each other's lives, and laughed on days gone by. I love having them over. It's relaxing and easy, and because of the way they love each other and us so well, I never feel like I have to impress. And then they leave and go home, and I feel kinda peaceful. It's lovely, really. I wish that everyone felt that way when their in-laws come over.
Anyway, tonight was no different. They left and with a little bit of chili and a little bit of peace in my belly, I started on the dishes. Josh and his baby brother left to start on a project, and it was just me and the dishes left to work on each other. I caught myself half daydreaming, half praying as we worked on each other too. I thought about my friend whose baby boy was born at 26 weeks and wondered how her first Christmas was as a wife and as a new mommy to that tiny little boy. I thought about my friend whose mom moved to town today and wondered how unpacking the truck went and how their new life in the same town will be. I thought about my friends from high school and about when we'd be able to all get together again soon.
And then my thoughts drifted to one friend of mine and stayed there for quite some time. And because of the life she is living and the proud feeling I feel as she conquers the world, it almost felt like I was washing dishes with Jesus. You see.. my friend Autumn is one of the bravest, most amazing women I know. She's on a mission this year to reach people all around the globe with love and Jesus, and I don't think I've ever been more in awe of her in my life.
When we met, she was fifteen and I was eighteen, and we had an instant bond. I just didn't know the sassy, don't-touch-me, braces faced freshman in high school was going to become the woman that she is now. Oh, don't get me wrong. We hit it off and were instant best friends. But now? As she fearlessly travels from country to country and courageously faces her biggest struggles in life in order to become the best version of herself that she could possibly be, I'm truly floored. You see, her heart of pure gold is showing now more than ever before. She is selflessly inviting people into this journey with her, even when it's hard and brings her to tears. And then she does the unthinkable… She lets the tears out and works through them with others and with God. It's unreal.
She's my Autumn. My best friend. My little sister. But if I'm honest, right now it feels more like I'm looking up to her. Like maybe for a little while, she's the big sister. The one with the simultaneous wisdom and faith like a child. The one with the beautiful smile in the picture below whose laughter I miss every day lately. The friend whose heart and life is so rooted in faith right now that when I wash my dishes all alone at the end of a night and I'm daydreaming of her, it feels like maybe… just maybe, I'm washing my dishes with Jesus.