Reflections on Friendships

Thanks Norma for your comment on my last posting, I'm so thankful I've never had to go through the pain of losing a friend my age. Within the last year I've lost two friends who were much older, but never anyone near my age. Thanks for your thoughts and comments in your blog remembering KT, like Jenny's recent blog remembering Heidi it made me think how precious life is and how precious the friendships that God gives us are. There was no comment I could make to either blog, but they both gave me cause to stop and reflect.

I had been thinking just the other day about how the most important thing that God has given us is our relationships and then you added your comment to my blog just reiterating what I was thinking. Things and possessions have their place and their value, but nothing compares to a true friend. I stumbled across a wall hanging of Val's the same day that I'd not seen before that says, "Life has no blessing like that of a loving friend." One of the verses that slips in most times I preach is, "This is eternal life, that they may know you, the one true God and Jesus Christ who you have sent." (John 17:3) If God values relationship above everything, so should we!

One thing coming to Canada has done is help us realise the value of our friends at home and it is such a blessing whenever we hear from any of them knowing that despite the distance we are remembered, even as we regularly remember them. I have a photo montage over my side of the bed and I also keep a small photo album that contains pictures of my family and friends which I often pick out of my bag to look at, to enjoy my friendships and to pray for the folks I love. The photo of the youth group wearing white plastic macs at Edinburgh Zoo is especially precious - we miss you guys and pray for you often.

I encourage you, cherish your friends, the past is inhabited by them and the future will be made with them. They are too precious a gift to treat like anything else!

Bless you all,

With lots of love,

Steve