Scripture tells us not to forsake the friends the Lord places in our lives. Proverbs 18:24 says “A man who has too many friends can come to ruin; but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother .” We all have many acquaintances, but close friends are those with whom we can share our deepest feelings.
In Proverbs 27: 9, 10, & 17, the Bible says, “Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart; so does the sweetness of hearty counsel from a man’s friend.” “Do not forsake your own friend, or your father’s friend. ” “Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend.”
These verses remind me of how close friends support and encourage one another, and actually can improve each other. We need to take time in this busy world to reconnect with our personal friends. Sometimes those friends are from our past; other times they are people who are now in our lives. Either way, this command is for our own sakes. So many blessings occur when we get together with these precious people.
Recently I “caught up” with one of my friends with whom I ran around with in my junior and senior years of high school. Several weeks ago, my post, “When I Was Young” featured this sweet woman in photo booth pictures. To reunite with this friend, my husband and I took a road trip to Jefferson City, Missouri, and spent two days with Bonnie and her husband, Jay, also a friend from that time period.
I felt a bit of anxiety as we drove 4 1/2 hours to see them. Would they still find things in common with me? Are they looking as forward to this as I am, or will it be an interruption in their lives and routines? Will we have difficulty communicating, or will it be like old times where we talked easily and freely together? Would the passing of time make a difference after all these years? Will it seem like time never passed, and we picked up where we left off forty years ago? When we finally arrived, all of that anxiety left. Their generous hospitality and warm welcome thrilled my heart.
For dinner, Jay and Bonnie took us to a Chinese restaurant, but the buffet offered American food, too. Similar to a Golden Corral, food types filled the sections. After dinner, we traveled back to their home where we talked till late into the night. Finally, we all decided to give our tired bodies rest, and went to bed.
In the morning, more reminiscing took place. We shared more memories of the past as well as new experiences that took place in each of our lives since seeing each other late. One of my most precious blessings took place before breakfast. Owen, Bonnie, and I did devotions together. We took turns reading scriptures and devotional booklets that Owen and I brought. praying together meant so much to me. After breakfast, Jay showed us his gardening work and shed where he does woodworking. Jay has so many talents! He served in Viet Nam as a combat engineer, and in Desert Storm as a flight medic. He shared some of his experiences with us from both tours. In his civilian life, Jay worked as an IT expert. He retired a few years ago, and enjoys gardening, woodworking, and technology.
Later on, I helped Bonnie prepare for lunch. Bonnie taught school for over thirty years. She’s retired now also, but continues to help at school on Fridays. She loves working with kids! We have that passion in common. The meals Bonnie made during our visit tasted wonderful. I remember when she made lunch in our younger years. She fried Spam and fixed vanilla pudding with fruit cocktail in it. That was good then, but these meals forty years later raised the bar a bunch!
After lunch, Owen and I packed up, grudgingly said good-bye, and started our journey back home. We talked about what a terrific time we shared with these dear ones from our past. Before we left, we invited them to come stay with us sometime, and they agreed they would do that. Hopefully, we meet again soon. True friendship never loses the bond we develop, and we need to do all we can to continue to build that bond deeper as much as possible. I am so glad we went to see these friends from our past!
How long has it been since you reunited with a special friend from your past? Is there some way you could renew your relationship with that person? Let me know your thoughts about setting up a time to visit someone who made a positive impact on your life. Then actually make some plans and follow through with them. You’ll be blessed like us!
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