On Friday, my former Bible study group met by invitation at the home of my friend Sahar. The Lord has blessed her and her husband with this gorgeous, spacious house in a gated community in the quiet countryside. Her home is beautiful!
We shared good-natured teasing, lots of laughter, good food, fellowship and prayer. Miss Patty shared her enthusiasm for her business in Zumba exercise and fitness classes. I gave an update on my book being published. Others shared needs and concerns about their mates, children and grandchildren. During our time of sharing prayer requests and testimonies, my daughter Deb told of meeting a mom at Westfield High School during a meeting for the school's gymnastics team.
Deb noticed this mom sitting across the room kind of by herself, and their eyes met. Deb's heart felt quickened, so she motioned for her to come over. They sat together during the meeting and discovered they don't live far from each other, and made plans to take turns driving their daughters to practice.
Shortly afterward, when Deb was driving the girls to practice, she had her radio tuned to the usual Christian station. The new girl asked, "Are you people Christians too?"
Deb was so excited, and after she got home, she called the girl's mother and they had a good chat. My daugther said how she was so blessed by the new Christian friend the Lord brought into her life, and looks forward to other "divine connections" God has for her.
After we prayed together, we did what is termed a "Chinese gift exchange" that was loads of fun. Everyone had brought a wrapped gift, up to $10 in value. Somebody made numbered slips of paper equal to the number of guests, folded them in half, and each guest took one. The person with #1 chose a gift first, opened it, and set it on her lap. The person with #2 went next, and could either choose #1's gift, or choose a new one from the pile. If #1 lost her gift to #2, she could go back and choose another gift, and so on. For more on how the game is played, here is a link: http://www.zianet.com/ebear/chinese.html .
Next,we pulled up extra chairs and crowded around a table in the kitchen area and snacked on veggies and all sorts of goodies while we talked and laughed some more. We parceled out food to send home with one another. The Lord's blessing was very evident by the spirit of loving unity that was present.
Yes, godly friendship is refreshing and uplifting and must be nurtured and encouraged. "Someone who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24) A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity, says Proverbs 17:17. We all need friends to believe in us, encourage us, pray for us, and help us along the rough spots in our earthly journey. Even Jesus needed friends. Of the twelve disciples, only three were His close friends; and even those three, along with all the rest, fled from Him in His hour of trial because they were afraid. He knows what it feels like to be despised, rejected, misunderstood, and forsaken. He is the best Friend one could ever have. He will never leave us or forsake us.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:16-17 (New King James version of the Bible)
Friendship is a wonderful gift we can both give and receive at the same time! How's that for an ideal, out-of-this-world Christmas gift?
Copyright © 2011 Elaine Beachy
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