Have you
ever had one of those long-time acquaintances? You find yourself in the same
environment, around the same people, but haven’t really crossed into the friend
zone for one reason or another. Once you do, you kick yourself for not doing it
sooner. That’s how my friendship with Amanda Cook started.
Amanda
Kay Cook has been one of the most surprising friendships of my life. We grew up
in similar towns, both went to Baylor and had lots of mutual friends, but it
wasn’t until 4 years ago that we really became friends. At first glance, she
was quirky, a little dramatic and funny. And, I learned pretty quickly that she
was the oldest of 3 girls, unbelievably smart and loved Starbucks coffee. What
took a little longer to learn was her authenticity, sincerity and loyalty.
The depth
found in Amanda comes from her intimate friendship with Jesus. She has a fierce
faith in Him that lets her dream big dreams and live a life of freedom. It’s a
life that is more about other people than herself. She lives day in and day out
for something bigger. What I haven’t told you is that Amanda left
a comfortable, American life 2 years ago to serve the people of Haiti.
Something else I haven’t told you is that she decided to go before she even
visited because of the severe need after the devastating earthquake in 2010.
Day after
day she is faced with patchy electricity, the foreign language of Creole, and
the nearly unbearable heat of the island. But the thing that marks Amanda is
not complaint or counting down the days until her commitment is finished.
Instead she lives every day with beauty and grace despite inconsistent generators, large
machinery and lots of sweat. Though it’s been tough to live these last 2 years with her
so far away, it hasn’t kept her from being an amazing and dear friend. What a gift to have a friend like Amanda, a friend determined to be your biggest fan, best listener and love you well, from even hundreds of miles away.
Amanda, I salute you!
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