Friends, Not the TV Show

Friendship:

I was down to the point of sniffing socks this morning. It's the last day of this trip. I look forward to heading home and being with Kathy. As I reflect on my time in Chuuk, I am struck by the power friendship. I have been able to spend time with a couple of friends who are my allies in ministry. The currency of friendship is clear between us. Each of us has his own work. There are areas of our ministries that overlap, and so an outsider could look at some of the conversations that have taken place the last few days, and say, "I understand. The work missionary number 1 is doing has this common interest with missionary number 2, so it makes perfect that he says good things about what Number 2 is doing, because if Number 2 succeeds it will help Number 1." That observation is technically correct but entirely wrong. The fact of the matter is, the three of us are friends--friends in the way that comes through in some key passages in the Book of Proverbs. Proverbs 17:17 speaks about the consistency of true friendship The ESV translation of Proverbs 18:24, brings out the distinction between those we call "friends" in the casual sense and those we can count on even when times are hard. Proverbs 27:6 points out that this is the kind of friend who will "wound" his friend rather than let them go the wrong way. In addition to spending times with these friends, I was able to make some new friends. Friendship transcends national boundaries, skin color and, though it makes it harder, even differences in language. While I was here in this little corner of the world, I was reminded about a friendship that has even survived death. Three decades after Dave's death, his friendship still feeds my soul. I am convinced that in heaven we will still be who we are. If that is so, then might it be possible that friendship, unhindered by distance, time, language, or death, will continue? It's Something To Think About.