Thankfulness for Friendship

            I am doing the Random Journal Day exercise with Dawn over at Beneath the Surface and others. The way it works is we look through our old journals and find an entry that speaks to us and we post it. The poem I posted last week was my first try at posting anything from a journal entry.

            The following has some personal thoughts but that was what I thought as I reflected on the idea of friendship and how thankful I am to have the relationships I have.

This was originally written on November 24, 2008

            God does something for His children that blesses us all. He creates friendships among them.

            Several years ago, a mother with a teenage son chose to worship in another church. The woman faced a dire prospect in her life—her husband, involved in self-destructive behavior, could have succumbed to his life-style. Her son, who had a physical disability, hadn’t done well in school and had no close ties to anyone among his peers.

            She made the change in churches as a scared, troubled, and depression-prone person. She met people who looked past her problems and saw her heart. Because of these people, she grew in the Lord. Her son established some friendships, as well.

            Most of these friendships are strong, even today. (That small church has closed its doors and the people have scattered.) But several of those people are worshipping in the church where she and her husband now attend. God did an outstanding work when He forged friendships for this woman.

            I am the woman in this journal entry. At this ‘new’ church I have been able to make more friends. Due to the size of the church, I don’t get to know everyone as well as I would like but I know this: When I have a need, people do not hesitate to call and ask how we are doing. When my dad died, three sisters were coming in the front door of the church as I was going out. They each one stopped and gave me a big hug. When they put together a slideshow of the veterans’ pictures, I asked if I could submit one of my dad, since he had been a Marine. They let me. When I started in with depression a short time later, one of the ladies showed concern. When my husband was in the hospital and had undergone two surgeries similar to Peyton Manning in less than a week. The doctor talked about going in a third time. He was panicked, I was trying to be there for him and still didn’t understand what was happening, One of those dear friends who took me in all those many years ago said she’d come sit with me at the hospital, no matter how early it was.

            I thank God for forging these friendships.