Friends

Today is the birthday of a special friend of mine. She’s not a friend I stay in touch with on a regular basis. I haven’t seen her in over a year. I don’t even talk to her on the phone. But she’s a friend I treasure and always will. Why? Because the Lord placed her in my life just when I needed her.

Isn’t it interesting who the Lord gives to us as friends? And isn’t even more interesting the timing of their friendship. Maybe I notice this more because I am the perpetual “new-kid-on-the-block”. My friends rotate through in a revolving door, although I exchange Christmas and birthday cards with friends from as far back as Kindergarten. Some of those friends I just enjoyed spending time with. A lot of them I needed when they entered my life.

Like the one I had in 3rd grade. I moved from Tennessee to New Hampshire the December of my 3rd grade year, the very day after Christmas. For an 8-year-old who couldn’t remember much past the 3 ½ years in Lewisburg, this was dramatic – even traumatic. Especially since I didn’t think my teacher spoke English. The first day in my new classroom, a girl came over and asked if I would play with her at recess. I was delighted! Although we remained friends somewhat, a month or so later another little girl’s best friend moved away, leaving me to get to know the little red head. It was perfect. Having moved from Texas only the year before, we both thought New Hampshire a foreign country. We remained friends for years.

Many years after that, my family ended up back in Texas. And a mother and daughter invited Katey and I out for pizza. That was pretty cool and opened a friendship that is going strong in our families today.

And upon the return to New Hampshire? Well, to say it was an awkward move would be and understatement. On that first Sunday we visited a church some people Dad had been in contact with attended. One of the men there afterwards introduced his daughter to me. She invited Katey and I to a Bible study for girls our age. Shaking from head to foot, we went – and went for the next four years. Those girls became some of my dearest friends. That is also how I met Allyson. 

Friends are wonderful things. I’m not sure how I would survive sanely in Texas without the friends the Lord has left me here since my move away 11 years ago. For what would life be like without friends to eat ice cream with, enjoy a cup of coffee or watch movies? To listen to my woes and understand, while they share their own. To laugh, to cry, to pray for. I am very blessed to have wonderful friends.