Sideswiped by the Unexpected

I have a dear friend, the one I've written about before. Her name is Crystal and she is like a sister to me (I think! I've never had a sister until she came along). We've known each other 20 years - before husbands, before most of our children, before college degrees, before many life-change events in our lives. We have similar belief systems and values although our personalities are quite different. A couple of days ago we had a falling out. She and I have had our disagreements over the years, who doesn't? But we usually agree to disagree and get on with the fun part of being good friends. This time, however, it involved our teenage children. Now, I don't want to sound like we are closer to our kids than anyone else is to theirs, that wouldn't be right because I don't know others' situations. But I do have to say we are both a little codependent about our kids, and raw nerves got struck all over the place this time. Feelings got hurt and we ended up not speaking to each other for several hours - mostly due to me "hanging up" on her during an IM conversation when I couldn't deal with anymore. Bless her heart, I know that she was as upset as I was, but she managed to keep her head long enough to email me a response to some of the things I had said. (BTW, we lived literally 1/4 mile from each other on the same property, and we IM and email each other ) By the time I got back on the Internet (a few hours later) and saw her response I had quit crying enough to respond to her response. (I'm telling you, friends, even when it's painful, even when you think you can't do it, communication is the key to everything). By dinner time we had hashed things out enough to realize what was going on and find a resolution. The bottom line was that, much as we'd like to, we couldn't fix the situation between the kiddos; we could only point them in the right direction and let them go on this one then let them reap the consequences of what they sow. I was so relieve to see her words on the screen after I told my son everything was fine now, "and they are!" she said, "and I am so glad!" Early yesterday she left a message for me about how sorry she was about the whole thing, and I emailed back the same, smiling the whole time because the bad part was over. But the best part came when I dropped by her house to pick up a package from the mail. Big Hugs! What I'm about to say may turn some people off, but that's the risk you take when you tell the truth sometimes. Satan had a hand in all that. Our thinking and motivations and understanding of things got twisted way beyond what is considered healthy, and were not anything like Godly. It was an attack on our friendship, so I have to wonder what God has in store for us as friends. Besides our families, where else is He going to use us to accomplish His purpose? I pray, Lord, that You will smooth the winkles in my thinking and help me recognize what is true and right in each situation in my life. Help me to become less self-focused so I may see the needs of others more clearly and respond in a way that will glorify You, not shame you. In Jesus' name I pray!