Skip to main content

Friends

Life is built on seasons.  We're in the one of lingering autumn and early winter.  Our days are short, the frequent winds have just about blown off all the colored leaves.  The skies are filled with gray all day and every once in awhile raindrops fall and pour in torrents.  In these moody days of nature, I have found again the warmth of friends and kindness.

Yesterday, I packed up cookies.  I carefully arranged some on the snowman tray and others in the Christmas boxes.  I sealed them up with cheery bows and cards.  Then I went across the street, right next door, and to the corner to deliver my goods to each neighbor.  It was fun to catch up on each one's news.  I realized again the blessing of having such fine neighbors in our lives.  It's a simple thing to take the time, but when I do, I come away thankful and full of joy for relationships in my life.

I'm reminded of my Mom when I do those actions.  I remember well how she would make her cookie boxes.  She would use the empty Christmas card boxes, line them all with foil, and pack them full of with a variety of cookies.  She sealed them up with Saran wrap, then tie them up with ribbon, and deliver them to our neighbors around us.  I'm thankful that she portrayed for me the blessing of reaching out to others.

As I count the blessings of my friends, I realize that friendships tend to go in seasons.  There are times when we have those friends because we work in the same place or go to school together or live by one another.  But because of changes in our lives,  those friendships change.  They sometimes hibernate, sometimes linger as a memory, and may even seem to fade.  Yet, if it's just a card, a phone call, or getting together for lunch, the friendship thrives again, just like the early Spring.

So I am especially grateful this wintry day for an opportunity to celebrate my former mentor and colleague.  I'm attending her birthday celebration and wouldn't miss it for the world!  I know I'll come across other friends I haven't seen in years, and I am looking forward to our time of reminiscing and catching up.  I'm grateful that God has given us seasons to cultivate relationships and friends.  We never know how long we'll be at a certain place or in a particular time.  Yet, while we're there, we need to reach out, plant seeds of kindness, and grow our friendships with one another.  We may even find that our greater blessing of those friendships grown may be revealed in the darker seasons of our life.  And there's nothing like the beauty of fresh fallen snow on the mountains!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Easter Production

Driving down the freeway, the large billboard caught my eye.  "Join us for our Easter Production,"  it beckoned with splashy brown and orange colors.  It made me think, yes, that's what the resurrection of Jesus Christ has been reduced to. . . a man made production.  Even this very day we celebrate, the headlines are all about the celebrities that attract the biggest Easter crowd.  E.G. "Tim Tebow draws thousands to Texas Easter service."  Once again, I had to think . . . who is Easter really about?  What happened to "Jesus draws a crowd?" I have grown tired of celebrity worship.  Yet, it seems in America that is what most Christians are interested in. We flock to mega churches, we drink in videos and studies all geared to keep us simple minded and complacent.  No longer is theology a priority to be taught.  No, it's better to read through the Bible in a year by reading only 5 minutes a day.  Never mind, contemplating or discuss...
Post a Comment
Read more

Close Encounters of the Spiritual Kind

   " Put yourself in the path that God will work." (Pastor Martin Smith, 1/2024)  On a crisp, clear Saturday morning, I started up the hill with Gypsy Rose eagerly leading the way.  I was more caught up in the fresh air feeling that was invigorating, than paying attention to the few cars that passed us by.  But there up ahead, a small red truck had slowed to the curb to flag me down.  "Could I help him find his son's house?" He was an older gentleman with his phone in hand.  He couldn't reach his son because the calls only went to voicemail, and he didn't have his address, only that it was somewhere here in Rancho.  I googled his son for him, but unfortunately, it only brought up an older address which was the current address now for this man.  There was no updated address for Rancho Cucamonga.  I told him the bad news, but he was so very gracious.  He did everything to show me that he was for real, pulling out  his driver lice...
Post a Comment
Read more

Awe

  The thunder resounded with a loud clap! Certainly, it came as an afternoon surprise.  The expected rain seemed less than what was forecasted, but with the thunder came a bucket of heavy raindrops splashing against my kitchen window.  I wanted to take it all in, the fresh aroma of falling rain and the beauty of water drops hitting the leaves of my nasturtium and petunia hanging baskets.  Unfortunately, the rain cloud quickly fled, running away into the eastern sky.  But then the sun made its way onto the scene, and I was drawn to a thick band of rainbow colors shining up at me.  The western sky was magnificently orange, completely bound up tight with that solo color scheme.  I went outside to catch it all before it would disappear.  Creation again was causing me to pause in awe and wonder. . . Awe is that reverential wonder, that even includes fear and respect.  It is only a 3 letter word, but it takes bigger and grander words to define it....
Post a Comment
Read more