By Gary Andrews
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As I grow older, and hopefully wiser, I become more increasingly aware of what has helped me get to this point in life. With the help of the Lord Jesus Christ, my wife and I have made many, many friends along the way of our marriage with the many stops we have made through our moves.
We made the decision to get out of the US Air Force some 40 years ago because of not wanting to move around. Being in the print media business over these past 40 years, we have moved seven times and each time has been a true blessing. These moves were and continue to be great educational rewards for, not only for my wife and me, but for our children. The many people we have met along the way and the friends we have made continue to be one of the blessings that we will cherish for as long as we are on this earth.
I can remember many of my high school classmates. Through the internet many of us have had the opportunity of catching up on old times and bring back memories of things we used to do and places we used to go. The best description I have heard of a friend was stated by Elbert Hubard; “Your friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you."
As I have grown to the state of retirement and the world is slowing down a bit, I find myself wanting to know how and what my friends of the past are doing and how they are getting along. Even those I haven’t seen for many years I considered my friend because of our closeness of years past. Friends are the ones who have celebrated good times with you and listened to you in your down times. Things in life are always going to change but where ever your life takes you no one can take away your friends.
I have to say that throughout my marriage my best friend on earth has been my wife. No one could or will ever take her place and I feel this has been the secret to our long and happy marriage. Even though we have been thoroughly blessed with a lifetime of love we are both anxious to hear from friends of our past.
Many times we scan the news media and find some of our friends have gone to be with the Lord. We read about our friends losing loved ones when we read the obituary pages and our heart goes out to them. We try to call them just to say we are thinking about you so that they can hear a friendly voice from the past. Something that everyone should remember, a friend is one who strengthens you with prayers, blesses you with love and encourages you with hope.
Even though our earthly friendships will dissolve we have one true friend that will last forever. His name is Jesus and should you not know Him personally, get on your knees and ask Him to come into your heart and join Him through His saving grace. In the gospel of John 15:13 He says, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus did just that for you and me when He died on the cross to save us from our sins.
Never lose sight of your many friends you have on earth and enjoy these tremendous lifelong relationships but know that God is the only one that will be with you in eternity.
Prayer: Thank you Lord for you love and your saving grace. Thank you for taking my place on the cross to save me from my sins so that I will live with you throughout eternity. Amen.
(Suggested daily Bible readings: Sunday – Romans 5:1-11; Monday – Proverbs 20:5-7; Tuesday – Ecclesiastes 4:8-12; Wednesday – James 4:4-6; Thursday – 2 Timothy 1:15-18; Friday – John 15:9-17; Saturday – Mark 9:50.
Gary Andrews is the author of Encouraging Words: 30-days in God’s Word. To obtain a copy go to his website www.gadevotionals.com