Friends

Friends

Here I am into the second half of my century-old life on this planet. Can you imagine living over nine centuries like some of the men of the Old Testament times? Check out Noah in Genesis 9:29. He lived 950 years!

Can you imagine Noah and all that he witnessed in his life? Think all the friends that came and went? And one wife that whole time?! Well, at least she could help with the remembering part!

Already, I have seen so many friends come and go. Some have moved away. Some got jealous or angry and stomped away. And some just passed away. All of them I miss; even the angry ones.

Life is so full of twists, turns and surprises. Just when you think you know the road, it moves or changes. Well, at least it never lacks for change.

Joys and sorrows, good memories and already a lot of faded memories.

Some of those friends were only there as long as I served their purposes. Once we did not have mutual goals, the friendship faded away.

But one part of life is always the same. My faith in God only grows. My Bible has changed. I tend to wear out the book. But when I go through the pages, I am spending time with a consistent, never-changing friend. He speaks to me from its pages. God is always the same. His presence is never far. It is because I choose to stay in close contact. Reading His Word daily, praying often. Prayer is not that hard; it is listening more than talking. Brother Lawrence, a monk from centuries ago, inspired a book. It is called “Practice the Presence of God.” There in the title is all of it. Just practicing His presence in all we do. Being together.

Friendship is cultivated the same way. It is forged by time together and by trust. God is there always. It just takes my time to forge that relationship. It takes experience to learn to trust. He never waivers. I do. Friendship takes bumps and bruises too. But I would rather have a wound from a friend then a kiss from an enemy. My God never is my enemy. He always proves faithful in the end of it all.