Long Lasting Friendship
Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice. Proverbs 27:9
There is nothing more valuable than a loving friendship to refresh our souls and awaken our hearts with joy. It is worth the work to never give up or abandon a friend. Our Father, God, in his grace has given us this wonderful gift.
I have lived long enough to have developed many strong friendships throughout my life. I never thought of them as being so special within my heart as Proverbs 27:9 states: “A perfume and incense that is bringing joy to my heart.” But it does exactly that!
Yesterday, I was with a longtime friend and her husband. He had been a friend of my late husband. We have known each other since 1965 when we were in the military during the Viet Nam war. Barb and I had met in the army and our husbands were friends while serving in the Navy. During those four years serving, we were apart from our husbands more than we were together. Our friendship and our love for each other during those days grew to a trust that lasted even when we were separated after our commitments to service had expired. Today, we still live in other states however, on a few occasions we do get together when there is an opportunity.
After my husband passed, I felt the pain of not having my best friends close by. However, their love and concern were there, and I felt within my heart that they were deeply broken by the news. When we could, we continued to meet and share past events and catch up with present activities and we experienced a wonderful closeness of friendship.
Our loving God gives us this gift of friendship and gives us seasons for meeting new friends and nurturing old relationships. It is a precious gift that I don’t take lightly. Through many friendships I’ve developed over the years, I’ve learned to use valuable tools which have helped me on my spiritual journey…and I’m still a student.
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MmvYxgUZqc Friends
Father, in your great wisdom you have given us the gift of friendship. What a beautiful love that can not only lessen our distance apart but grow throughout the years. AMEN.