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Wednesday,
September 18, 2019
Early
yesterday morning we passed this decorative "wagon
train" at the Frey's Greenhouse near Lebanon, PA.
(Click
to enlarge)
"The
Blessing Of 'Unlikely' Friendships"
Often we develop a friendship based upon people who've experienced life similar to the way we have. C. S. Lewis wrote, "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.'"
Message summary:
Today we urge you to value your friendships,
particularly those with other members of the family of
faith. Consider "unlikely friends" and the commonality
you have within your relationship.
"Do
two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?"
(Amos 3:3). "A friend loves at all times" (Proverbs
17:17).
Mike is a long-time friend who has a birthday today. I don't remember very many of my friend's birthdays but this also happens to be the date we had the very first service at the church we planted in northern Pennsylvania as a very young couple right out of Bible College in 1977. I had met Mike the day before since he came with questions about the new church. He and his wife Kathy attended our first service and shortly thereafter became a vital part of that young congregation. We have been friends ever since, although we have both moved on from where we met.
Mike is a long-time friend who has a birthday today. I don't remember very many of my friend's birthdays but this also happens to be the date we had the very first service at the church we planted in northern Pennsylvania as a very young couple right out of Bible College in 1977. I had met Mike the day before since he came with questions about the new church. He and his wife Kathy attended our first service and shortly thereafter became a vital part of that young congregation. We have been friends ever since, although we have both moved on from where we met.
Many
friendships are likely such as the one with my first
grade friend, Dave. We met
after his family moved across
the street from ours. We were best friends in grade
school and Junior High together and we remain good
friends some sixty years later. Likely, friends are
our neighbors, people we work with, school mates or
fellow church attendees.
Often we develop a friendship based upon people who've experienced life similar to the way we have. C. S. Lewis wrote, "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.'"
But
today let us consider unlikely friendships. We
thought of this the other day considering our
friendship with Jesse and Anna Ruth Lapp, who are
Amish and some 25 years younger than us. Although we
have an age and cultural divide we became fast friends
ever since we met them as newlyweds back in 2003 and
this close friendship has turned into more of a family
type relationship.
On
Sunday afternoon, as we walked together in the
neighborhood and ran into neighbors along the way, our
visits that day included five family groups from
different cultural and theological backgrounds, yet we
all had the commonality of knowing that Jesus died for
our sins and that we must be born again to enter into
His kingdom.
When we
lived in New England we saw an example of what would
seem to be an unlikely friendship. An older white lady
and a young black man walked together on our street
each morning conversing with one another. There didn't
appear to be anything romantic about their
relationship and when we greeted them they just seemed
to be good friends. Perhaps they lived in the same
apartment complex. With all the divisions in our world
we are inspired by that kind of unlikely friendship!
A lot of friendships in the body of Christ are that way. People, who in the natural would have very little in common, but due to their mutual love for Christ have so much in common. Mostly we have in common that which matters most. Our mutual walk with the Lord supersedes (or at least it should) whatever may divide us.
Today we urge you to value your friendships, particularly those with other members of the family of faith. Consider your "unlikely friends" and the commonality you have within your relationship.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer:
Father, this
world would be quite bland and much would be lacking
in our lives if we didn't have good friends. Friends
who spur us on, who love us when we need it most, who
lend a hand even before we ask, who encourage us by
their words and deeds, who believe in us when others
doubt our worth. Friends are among the greatest
blessings You give us to walk with on this journey of
life and we thank you for them. Amen.
A lot of friendships in the body of Christ are that way. People, who in the natural would have very little in common, but due to their mutual love for Christ have so much in common. Mostly we have in common that which matters most. Our mutual walk with the Lord supersedes (or at least it should) whatever may divide us.
Today we urge you to value your friendships, particularly those with other members of the family of faith. Consider your "unlikely friends" and the commonality you have within your relationship.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer:
Father, this
world would be quite bland and much would be lacking
in our lives if we didn't have good friends. Friends
who spur us on, who love us when we need it most, who
lend a hand even before we ask, who encourage us by
their words and deeds, who believe in us when others
doubt our worth. Friends are among the greatest
blessings You give us to walk with on this journey of
life and we thank you for them. Amen.Today's
Suggested
Music and
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