My Friends

My friends are faithful.  My friends are true.  My friends are loyal.  My friends are trust worthy.  My friends are not fair weather friends, but friends that are willing to get down on their knees and get in the muck with me if they have to.  They are willing to pull me up when I am stuck in that muck.  They lift me up when I cannot lift myself.  They hold my heart ever so gently when it hurts.  They are a balm for my soul when it cries out.  Sometimes my soul cries and I don’t know why or even who it cries for, but my friends are there to help me cry, wipe my tears and show me compassion.  God has so blessed my life with old friends and new friends; Friends for old hurts and friends for my new hurts.

1 Corinthians 13:7

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Their love has brought me so far and through many dark paths.  Sometimes so dark I could not see.  You know the kind of dark you see when you are in a cave and they turn off the light.  But as a friend reminded me this week there is nothing in the dark that isn’t there in the light-the light of Jesus-I am in peace.  So when I am in the dark now, I still have that peace because I know that Jesus goes with me.  He is that light that lights my pathway.

Psalm 119:105

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

I hear my mom telling me scriptures in my head all the time, scriptures I thought I had forgotten.  And I remember scripture from teaching them to my Sunday school class.  Those words come back to me when I need them.  They lead me, guide me and yes, sometimes, correct me!  I try to stay on the path God has chosen for me, but sometimes it gets weary and on those days I call out to my friends. 

A friend is one who strengthens you with prayer, blesses you with love and encourages you with hope-unknown

I am blessed with many praying friends.  I can call upon them day or night when I am burdened to pray with me!  And I have!  There is just something about taking things to my Father God with a friend or friends.  I know He hears all our prayers but when we gather together as a group of believers to worship,  pray or just fellowship it’s like a slap in the face to that devil saying, “See we CAN get along-we LOVE each other!”

Hebrews 10:23-25

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.  And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some but exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the day approaching.

My praying friends know what is important to me and to my heart.  They help me fulfill my visions!  I struggle sometimes with things that God asks of me!  Do I do it?  How do I do it?  Can I do it?  My friends are there just like a cheerleading squad. Without God I can do nothing-I am nothing-and without my friends I don’t enjoy it near as much.  God created us for His pleasure, to glorify Him.  But He also wants us to enjoy life.  He gave us all these things in life that provide so much pleasure and ways to enjoy them.  He wants us to FEEL!  To see a beautiful sunrise or sunset;  To feel the warmth of the sun on our face on a beautiful Fall day;  To smell an apple pie while it is baking;  To hear a baby giggle, to taste a salty tear as it slides down your face as you cry and feel things all the way down to your bones.  These are the things God created for our pleasure.  Because He created us in His image!  He wants us to experience these things, just like He has these feelings!

Psalm 149:4

The Lord takes pleasure in his people

Revelation 4:11

You created everything and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created.

Friendship, relationships is just another one of those things God has given us so that we may enjoy life and not just endure it.  When we get to Heaven, we will have nothing to do but Praise God 24/7 and in Heaven there won’t be a 24 or a 7!  Time will mean nothing to us.  We will sing praises standing with our Heavenly family and yes, friends, those same friends that we stand/kneel here with on earth.  We will be together forever!  So how can one be sad when another goes a little early?  They should be shouting for joy and saying save me a little spot in Heaven.  I think that’s all we’ll need, is just a little spot.  I used to sing this song:

A Little Spot in Heaven

I don’t ask you Lord to lighten up my burdens,

 I don’t mind the trials on earth that I go through.

  Bein down, I want to prove that I am worthy

 Of a little spot in Heaven close to you.

Precious Lord forget me not, don’t pass me by,

Though there must be others worthier than I,

If you can then Lord, here’s what I’ll have you do

Save a little spot in Heaven close to you

Romans 14:19

Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another

Peace and harmony, that’s how I want to live out my days, that are left for me here on earth.

Romans 12:14-21

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.  Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[c]

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good

Oh sure, I know there will be trials and temptations.  But I also know Jesus knows our every weakness.  So I grab a friend and say, “Hey lets pray!” We can’t go wrong.

Psalm 121:1-2

I lift up my eyes to the mountains where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

Living out of love for God and pleasing Him should be our hearts desire.  Every day I live, I want to do it for the love of God.  For without His love there is nothing.  There are no friends.  And that is just SAD.  Every day I live I expect something!  I know it’s going to happen I just don’t know when or what it is!  But God has promised me so much and I know He is faithful so I can’t be surprised when these things happen, because He said He would.  So I expect!  That’s how I approach strangers- they are friends I haven’t met!  They are no longer strangers but friends!  Who knows it may be someone that needs to know Christ that I can help them or may be one of Gods angels sent to help me!  But I always expect…and He never fails.

Hebrews 13:1-2

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angels without knowing it.