Intersections - Mountain Movers

“The righteous choose their friends carefully…” (Proverbs 12:26 NIV)

As I write this I am (finally) able to sit in my “floating chair,” enjoying the lovely backyard and the beautiful weather. The busyness of the graduation weekend (except final clean up and “stuff return”) has passed and now I can enjoy the memories. The graduation itself went smoothly, the party preparation the next day was without incident, and we had a great turn out for the celebration. Truly, “I [saw] the evidence of Your goodness / All over my life All over my life / I [saw] Your promises in fulfillment / All over my life / All over my life.” **

As I was greeting and visiting with people who attended the party, my heart was blessed by the intersection of different streams of our lives. Since I moved to this part of the country in 1998, I have been deeply involved in three great churches and a rich and varied educational community, and I have “collected” a variety of friends along the way. Gathered in our backyard this weekend was an intersection of family, friends, and those three churches – a great number of people who love our children and our family. And it was beautiful.

When I thought about the sweet collection of people, I was reminded of a (now very old) song that was popular when I was growing up, “Friends” by Michael W. Smith.

But we’ll keep you close as always
It won’t even seem you’ve gone
‘Cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong
And friends are friends forever
If the Lord’s the Lord of them
And a friend will not say never
‘Cause the welcome will not end
Though it’s hard to let you go
In the Father’s hands we know
That a lifetime’s not too long
To live as friends*

Whether we’d seen each other this past week or not for five years, the bonds of love, respect, friendship and faith in Christ were represented in that gathering. Friends are friends forever when the Lord is the Lord of them and a lifetime is not too long to live as friends.

Today, let us give thanks for friends.

God of Grace and Lovingkindness,

We rejoice in your presence, radiant with joy, as we sing celebration songs to you. Today we thank you for all the rich, abiding, and Spirit-infused friendships in our lives. We see the evidence of your goodness and the faithfulness of your promises in our lives. Whether long-term or new, whether family or friends, whether deep and rich like Jonathan and David or lighter and sweet, we thank you and give you praise for the blessing of these rich and reliable relationships. We pray that we would continually have spiritual ears to hear your leading whenever we encounter new people or stand at crossroads in relationships. Help us to ask you where the good and right way is so our relationships give us hope, joy, and peace. We ask in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

“Let all the righteous be glad! Yes, let them all rejoice in your presence and be carried away with gladness. Let them laugh and be radiant with joy! Let them sing their celebration-songs for the coming of the cloud rider whose name is Yah!

“This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Jeremiah 6:16 NIV)

“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24 NIV)

“Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself…Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.” (1 Samuel 18:1, 3 NIV)

To the fatherless he is a father. To the widow he is a champion friend. The lonely he makes part of a family. The prisoners he leads into prosperity until they sing for joy. This is our Holy God in his Holy Place!” (Psalm 68:3-6 TPT)