It started with a book. A gathering of four friends. A short drive and a walk along the beach where a lone mailbox marked “Kindred Spirit” was ready to capture our stories. Snippets of conversation floated on the ocean breeze and hidden desires filled each heart.

The book was centered around the story of a mailbox. Real-life reflected the stories of the kindred spirits who gather every November to catch up and fill their souls with love.

The Mailbox

If you are a fiction lover and favor romances, you may have read a book or two by Nicholas Sparks. A year ago, he published a book called, Every Breath. Many of his books are set in the North Carolina coastal region and this one is no exception. The story revolves around a mailbox, called Kindred Spirit, the letters found inside, and the creativity of Mr. Sparks as he weaves two characters together from two very different places.

The book’s storyline is written in typical Nicholas Sparks’ style but what mattered to the four women last week was as unique as each of the women.

The name, Kindred Spirit, was intriguing enough for me to want to know more. Then when you add in a mailbox filled with letters and stories I knew that this is every romantic’s dream come true.

The Four Women

Every year for the last five years, I have gathered with four women: Holly Solomon, Patricia Krank, and Debbie Kitterman. It began at a writer’s conference, continued as a Mastermind group, and now looks like four kindred spirits who love to gather around the table.

Describing what it feels like to be connected with these women is deeply spiritual and very personal. The bond we feel is all because God brought us together for such a time as this.

As we sat together Saturday morning, we all carried a longing to head home but were hesitant about leaving behind what God continues to graciously grow among us. The term bittersweet fits perfectly as we prayed and said our goodbyes.

Real-life saturates us with routines, to-do lists, and the hurry of trying to fit in one more thing. A week away is a perspective-changer for all of the ordinary life we let consume us every minute of every day.

This year the week was not only a gathering of kindred spirits but a long pause from life’s demands and heartaches. The time together was sacred and holy.

The Gift of Kindred Spirits

I pray all women receive the deep soul-filling of their own kindred spirits. I know God sure loves to see the fruit of the seed He planted five years ago.

The gifts that my friends and I experience are the result of honoring God with space for Him to lead us to a deeper connection. As God teaches the four of us, He also lays the foundation for kindred spirits everywhere to acquire His truth. God says to each of us:

You are known. God declares this over us as His children. My friends did the same in the very act of comfort and ease we shared with each other (John 17:20-26).

You are loved. God loves us more than we will ever love someone else and this is manifested in His 24/7 care of us. My friends show their love through shared meals, deep conversations, walks on the beach, and lots of laughter (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5).

I am Hope. God promises hope in Him. We just need to believe. It is easier said than done when life is full of loss. Last week was not only a time for fun but a return to the hope of God in our lives (Romans 15:13).

God never stops teaching us how to grow in relationship with Him simply by saying “yes.” A week away is a gift that never fails to restore my soul and rest my weary body. When you add in four friends to the mix, a week away is like finding the best treasure possible and sharing the spoils with each other.

I don’t know about you but even if we didn’t make the trek to the mailbox, we had exactly what we needed–each other. May you find exactly what you need this week along with many kindred spirit moments.

Four friends, a book, one mailbox, and a week together provide the backdrop for this week's post on kindred spirits. #newpost #TellHisStory #linkup Click To Tweet

Blessings,

P.S. Here is a picture of the four of us where our hair actually looks normal.

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