Relationships are beautiful. They are one of the huge joys in every day life, that often make every day life worth it, every day. Specifically, all relationships. Although that is not very specific...hear this out. Relationships are not specific to just a significant other. We all have varieties of relationships that we take part in, and each one is different. My relationship with my mother is different than my relationship with my father. My relationship with one of my brothers is different than with one of my sisters. My relationships with my friends that are boys are different than my relationship with friends that are also girls. When it comes to significant others, Christians are obviously told and taught to protect our hearts and minds, and to live above reproach. As a single young woman, I can't tell you the number of times I am told to just keep on protecting my heart (more on that another time...), while also getting to know someone of the opposite sex, and not trying to show too much or be too much (Definitely more on all that later...), and be friends but not flirty and all that nonsense that comes with being sinners pursuing a sinless God.

Sexuality is often a topic seen as "taboo" in a Christian world. Sexuality was made by our good God, and is a way that we express our God-given, biologically correct desires. Sexuality = not taboo. Intimacy is also never a bad thing. Created by God, God is good, so intimacy = good.

But what about other women?

While I was in Ireland this summer, there was one day that really broadened my perspective on my relationships with other women. Do we need to be careful? Absolutely. We could quote way too many blogs and books and not enough scripture on how to be careful with young men, but when it comes to relationships with other women, why do we suddenly throw protecting our heart out the window? Protecting your heart is not just for the opposite sex, it is for everyone in your life. Men and women alike. Because you don't have to be a young, single man in order to cause harm to a young woman. Girls hurt girls too.

I do not want to discourage solid, godly friendships with other women! I have many and I do earnestly love the women that I have discerned are good to be close to. The bible gives us a great example of a deep relationship between two women, named Ruth and Naomi. They encouraged each other to be close to their heavenly father. They sought each others wisdom. They trusted each other. They grieved together and were sad for each other. They traveled and moved together to a new city. They embraced each other, and reminded each other many times that the Lord was with them.

As young women, we do need to be aware and sensitive to the women around us. It is not a bad thing to connect well to other women, but does every girl need to be your best friend? What is the message you send to non-Christians (and other Christians) when they see an Instagram post with kissy face emojis and two girls wrapped around each other and the caption, "Love my wifey so much."

I don't condemn you if you have done any of these or similar things. Why? Because it is awesome that you love deeply! It's amazing that you can be open and have a good relationship with another girl and both pursue Jesus and encourage each other. So yes, love deeply by all means. But in the middle of loving deeply, I urge you to love carefully. Not every woman in your small group needs to know the deepest parts of you. For me, I have three levels to my testimony: Skim, 2 percent, and whole. Most people in my life definitely know the 2 percent version. Very few and select people know my complete testimony, and I'm really OK with that. I can share my faith and my experiences without crossing emotional boundaries, especially with other women. Because even if you love someone, love does not equal amount of information shared. So again, love deeply, but carefully.

Quality over quantity when it comes to a good and close relationship with the same sex. Boundaries are often thought of for just relationships with the opposite sex, but boundaries are good when it comes to friends as well. Nothing wrong with having a really good good solid girl that is your friend, but maturity in any relationships will tell you that you don't need to do everything and spend all of your time together. She is not your wifey; she is your friend. Wife is a strong word, used to describe someone in a covenant relationship. Sometimes, we should take the meaning of a word seriously.

Another area is with our bodies, ladies. It doesn't make me less confident with my body if I don't want to change in front of you. For me personally, I don't prefer to get naked in the locker room, or at a sleepover, or other such events in front of another girl just because she's a girl too, so why should it matter? Maybe you are OK with doing that, but it might be good to know not everyone is and it shouldn't be a point of shame! And for some girls who are pursuing Christ, maybe sexuality is something that they struggle with. Maybe it's a part of their whole testimony, and one of their hardest difficulties in their relationship with Jesus. Because life is hard because sin is hard. And it is good and mature to recognize that every girl is different. I will say it again sister, love deeply but carefully.

I say this to encourage you in your walk with the Lord. That you can go on and be a bold and confident woman who knows herself well and is not unaware of her surroundings and loves her fellow women appropriately.

Great friendships are not made from sharing a certain amount of information with each other, but pushing that individual closer to the Lord. And while it might seem cheesy to say, it is worth repeating:Jesus had many followers but chose a few close friends.

P.S. I know this can be a careful subject with a lot of opinions around it, so please feel free to leave a note in the comments or share the article to let me know what you think and how we can love each other better.