Thank God for Friends

Why would one choose not to seek out friendship from another? I had a dear pastor friend state to me in a time of fear and of "funkiness" that he would rather risk getting hurt and Love than not to have Loved at all. This statement has never left me and so I share today some love stories.

"Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father..." Proverbs 27:10

I enjoy an evening with good friends, those in whom you have been sick of only to become nauseous when they speak about moving. - One nice relaxing evening at home a friend stopped by to visit. As we were sharing about our day and spending time a noise came from the front door. We were captured with silence as the darkness was thick on the outside. The noise happened again and it sounded as if someone was trying to open the door. In panic we all accessed the situation in our minds of what to do - first as any good man would do, I did nothing. In her own powerful adrenaline flow my wife proceeds to run to the door, grab hold of the door knob and prop her whole body up against the door so there is no way the demon on the other side could get through. After a moment of quietness I go to the door, my wife flips the light on and then proceeds to open the door to find the CAT playing with the doorknob. Well, we take a deep breath and as we head back to our seats we notice our friend laying on the coach with the throw pulled up over her face, feet showing - as if the blanket was made of steal and would protect her from the monster trying to kill her.

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." Proverbs 17:17

Another evening at home our friend stops by and this time we are enjoying the evening on the front porch. Sharing for the day - never gossiping - I, being the strapping man I am notice in the dark of the night a long slender figure on the porch one post away. As I realized what "it" was I gentle say to our friend to move slowly and quietly to the door of the house - It was a HUGH black snake making it's way from above down a porch post. Now, I did what any outdoors-man like myself would do and ran inside the house. Our friend followed and we both had a time of squealing like girls. The snake moved rather quickly and when we thought of how close it was without our knowledge - we squealed some more. The woman of the house - my wife - proceeded to handle the situation with a rock; A ROCK! That's my girl!! My wife began throwing the rock at the creature of large pa-portions and with every throw our friend and my self would squeal again. My wife seemed to have completed destroying the beast. She then turned to enter the house and found us peering through the glass on the front door. She realized by having the door shut tightly for nothing to enter; the house had been kept safe by myself, our friend and our 80 pound black lab.

"Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses." Proverbs 27: 6

Our friends can be seen as an interesting mix; a full blooded Mexican woman and a full blooded white man. Through the years we have laughed, cried, smiled, fussed, cried and cried some more. I, in my younger days of getting acquainted with this man that is married to the Mexican woman, had always sought out ways to loosen up this "always having it together type" of a man. They are blessed with two beautiful boys and we have enjoyed our times of growing together as friends for 10+ years. - Myself, my friend and his son were coming back to my house from doing something? It had began to rain. I, with my bright ideas and constantly seeking out ways to crack the tough exterior shell of "the man" proceeded to climb on the trampoline and jump in the rain. With no hesitation my friend and his son climb on the trampoline as well and we jumped away. What a picture - two grown men and a moose of younger man jumping around on a trampoline - IN THE RAIN - my heart warms as I think back.

"A man of many companions my come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24

No one sticks closer than a brother in our time(s) of need than Jesus Christ - but when you have no where to turn - thank God for FRIENDS!

Please enjoy the video song today. When it first was recorded - the radio's ran it in the ground. But, as years have passed and we have grown closer to many of our friends, the song means more now than ever.

Please scroll down for some friendship pics - what's really cool is while your listening to the song, look at the pics.