“A friend loveth at all times,” (Proverbs 17:17). She doesn’t condemn, nor shun, nor preach; she simply is there, caring about me whether I’m right or wrong, whether I’ve had success or failure, whether my purse is full or empty. A friend loves me for who I am, not for what I can do for her or have done for anybody else. And, in order to have friends, I must be a good friend to others. A friend is someone I can trust with my confidences; somebody who is ready to cry or laugh with me. A true friendship is not easily broken. It is lasting, whether we friends remain in the same town or travel to far parts of the earth.
Fran’s retreat theme yesterday was “Friends”. We all need them, and the hours spent at the retreat reinforced that fact. The sun shone, the lovely yard looked ready to burst into bloom; birdhouses had a lot of winged traffic, and, on the inside of Fran’s house, fifteen or sixteen (I lost count) chattering women gathered around her table for breakfast. After we ate, we saw a short Beth Moore Video clip. Next came Bible study and quiet time. Then, lunch! Another video clip after lunch, a time of sharing, and, believe it or not, we closed our meeting with a song, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” with yours truly at the piano. It had been a long time since I played for a group to sing.
As I read the Bible during our quiet time, I thought of the verses that have come to mean a lot to me through the years. There are so many that I couldn’t list all of them, so, I listed only a few. I’m sure other verses appeal more strongly to you for your own reasons. At different times of my life, different verses have stood out and I’ve found comfort in them.
Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” As I grow older, I realize more and more that time is passing swiftly. Time is my most precious commodity. How I use that time is vitally important. I should not waste it.
Other verses with special meaning are Job 5:21-24; Deuteronomy 28:1-14.
Here in the middle of March, after a long, cold, snowy winter, and before we launch into the busy-ness of spring, it was great to spend a few hours at Fran’s retreat. It was a time to reflect, refresh, and refill with a group of ladies that I am honored to call my friends.
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