Friends, if your on Facebook you may have hundreds, but in reality how do you count and value your friends? What do they mean to you? If you have followed this blog you may recall that I`ve written many entries about friends and friendship. Actually for me, it was a joy to reread some of them; this blog is certainly a great source for journaling, you should try it!
Friends are very important to me and I try diligently to maintain friendships. So just what constitutes a friendship? A mutual caring intimate relationship with shared activities, sounds good! A distinctive personal relationship with concern for one another's welfare, I buy that! According to Abraham Lincoln, "The best part of ones`s life consist of his friendship." I can say that I agree with Honest Abe!
Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 18:24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
For the past several weeks my friend and neighbor Janice Poore has joined our morning walking group. I`ve known Janice for decades, we went to the same high school and both live in the area; guess neither of us ventured far from home! Janice and I are what I call low maintenance friends, even if we don`t see one another for years, we just rekindle right where we are.
Twice in the last weeks Janice has said to me, "God sent you back to me at the perfect time!" God has allowed both of us to bring joy and peace though walking, talking and sharing with one another, at just the right time! A friend is one who strengthens you with prayer, blesses you with love and encourages you with hope.
To quote Cher, " I can trust my friends, these people force me to examine myself and encourage me to grow." This morning as Janice and I walked we ran into another friend and neighbor. Eighty-seven year old Lil Walker, I met Lil when I owned and operated Curves. Lil, is a young at heart chipper senior citizen, also enjoying the benefits of walking . What a delight to visit with Lil, I even joined her for a cup of coffee, as we reminisced. She is still grieving the loss of her husband and best friend, Robert of 66 years! With loving tears, Lil shared, "Linda he died here at home and I held his hand," I could only sympathize with her as she shared precious memories. From a German proverb I found, "The death of a friend is equivalent to the loss of a limb," I`m sure Lil would agree!
A few more quotes, Emily Dickinson," My friends are my estate," Robert Louis Stevenson, "A friend is a gift you give to yourself," Henry Ford,"My best friends is the one who brings out the best in me," and Ralph Waldo Emerson, "The only reward of virtue is virtue, and the only way to have a friend is to be a friend!"
Is it evident that God has called attention and provoked me to question the integrity and quality of my friendships? Father God, I pray that you will correct my faults from with-in, open my heart for correction, love and peace!
Romans12:9-11 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the LORD.
AMEN!
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