Friendship

In my quiet time I was reading my devotion for today and the scripture was  “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” — Proverbs 18:24  Reading this scripture makes me think how blessed I am to have special friends that I can count on, but most of all it makes me think of someone who I would have never thought I would depend on everyday. Other than Christopher the person that I can always depend on is Gayle or Gaga as my children lovingly call her. I truly believe the Lord places people in our lives at just the right time. Friendships between Christians are especially sweet because of the bond of Christ.  After reading in Proverbs today I couldn’t help think about how lucky I am to have a friend like her. 

Soon after my mother in law passed away Gayle kind of stepped in and took her place. She is one of those people who just steps in and does what needs to be done. I can and have called her at 3am and she came running. The kind of friend that will pray for me and with me when I need it. The kind of friend who goes along with my crazy ideas. The kind of friend who is always listens to me and give me advise when it might not be what I want to hear. 

I am so thankful that the Lord placed it on her and Mr. Jerry’s heart to want to help us with our children. She will be quick to tell you that if they didn’t want to do it they wouldn’t.  I pray that the Lord gives me a servants heart like she has.

Christopher's sermon yesterday got me thinking.  He preached from Romans 8. He was talking about the present day suffering that we go thru and how we let it dictate our lives. He was comparing this life's sufferings to having kidney stones and going to heaven is like going thru childbirth.... You have to kind of know him to know where he was going with this but he was saying in childbirth you go thru the pain and get you get something great out of it. When you have a kidney stone all you get is a little stone after all that suffering. No one ever says Lord please let me have another kidney stone but often people say I would love to have another child. The other day I was listening to AFR in the van before I went back to work and  there was a story about parents that lose children and if their children remain the same age or if they age as time goes on. I think about this question a lot and in my mind I hope they are still babies.  All this made me think that maybe this life really is like child birth. If this life is like child birth I am one of the lucky ones that not only get to go to a place that is beyond comprehension but I also get the joys of childbirth again when I get to hold my precious Raegan again. How could I not strive to be a better Christian and grow in him knowing that these earthly “kidney stones” are going to pass.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.