What's Shared at Panera Stays at Panera

I was in such a rush to get the kids off to school this morning. The school bus doors were barely closed as I headed inside to take my shower and get dressed. I had a very special appointment at 9:00 am and I didn't want to be late. The location of my appointment was a local Panera Bread and I was meeting my good friend, Lisa. The two of us had been planning this get together for over two weeks and I couldn't wait to see her sweet face and give her a big Southern hug. I was in desperate need of some great girlfriend time!

I've known Lisa for many years. We are busy moms that work full time and are super involved in women's ministry. With our demanding crazy schedules, we rarely get a chance to see one another. For years we would always talk about getting together but never did. Last year we decided to get intentional about spending time together. So, once every three months we clear our schedules and meet for a few hours.

We always start off talking about life's everyday experiences.

Kid stuff...

Husband stuff...

Work stuff...

Ministry stuff...

and of course, the need to eat better and exercise regularly!

Yet, it never fails that our conversations always end up heading towards a familiar direction - sharing our personal struggles, dreams, concerns, and pray requests with each other. Lisa knows that whatever she shares with me will remain confidential. I know that whatever I share with Lisa will remain confidential too. Our motto us:

What's Shared at Panera Bread Stays at Panera Bread.

I have a lot of friends that are special to me but very few that I can trust with my deepest personal thoughts. Although women don't mean to, they are sometimes prone to "share" or dare I say gossip when a good juicy story comes a long. Please don't misunderstand me. Not all women are this way but with my past experiences it seems as though gossip is often times built into some women's DNA.

Do you have a girlfriend that you can share your personal stuff with? Someone that you can trust and know she'll keep your conversations confidential? If not, I'd encourage you to pray for one.

When I moved to Charlotte four years ago I had to start from scratch developing new friendships. It was hard and took a long time. I prayed for months that God would bring women into my life that I would connect with and He did. I also prayed that He would bring a confidential friend that I could trust my heart with and He brought me Lisa.

Who is your special friend?

Can you really trust her?

Have you been intentional in setting aside some time out of your busy schedule to be with her?

If not, I can recommend a great place to meet and don't forget...

What's shared at Panera Bread stays at Panera Bread.