Good Friends

It’s easy to forget how nice it is to have good friends. Life cruises along like a speed boat crossing a lake, and before you know it, you’re nearly on the other side! When did that happen? Part of the surprise ending is realizing there were quite a few other people in the boat with you. Not that my cruise is coming to an end any time soon, but I am closer to that end, by a long shot, than I am the beginning. And praise the Lord, there have been some awesome folks in my life that were part of the ride. We were blessed to have a visit to our house this week from some friends that we had back in the eighties. Back when we all had small children in our lives, careers to build, and experiences to share! Our short visit was a fun time of recounting great memories, telling great stories, and showing great pictures of our kid’s kids. What a blessing it is to have sweet memories of folks who loved you, supported you, and made you seek reasons to be together. Yes, we took different speed boats for a lot of intervening years, but the memories of those earlier days are still precious blessing, and so was renewing that friendship.

I found myself reflecting on what makes a good friend. I sure hope I have been a good friend to all the folks in my life that I give that title to. It’s more than memories and fun times. A good friend is someone who cares about you, but also someone who wants the best for you. They encourage you to grow, try, keep going, and get up when you fall. They don’t resent your success or your honors. They join with you in celebration! Support and affirmation are the life-blood of any growing relationship, and they give it, and hopefully, receive it – many times over the years. A good friends helps you be a better person. Any one can party, but not everyone can empower! Making a good friend proud means a lot. Being proud of a good friend, means maturity. God puts good friends into our lives to make life wonderful, but also, to make us givers, and sharers, and …not so self-centered. I am extremely thankful for so many good friends. I pray that I have given as much to them as they have given to me.