Good Friends

We have friends. Now, this may not sound like much of an announcement to many of you out there, but this is a new state of being for Trevor and I since our marriage. We both have family that we have always been able to ask for help when we needed it, but never anyone else outside of that sphere. This has not always been true. Trevor had a few really good friends when he was in the Navy...Phil was best man at our wedding. And I had friends at my old job, but the only thing that really made us friends was our mutual interest in radiation therapy.

But in the 10 years that we have been married, we've never had another married couple that we could just call up so we could hang out or anyone that we could really call in an emergency. Any social life that we had revolved around our families, and while that can be fun too, we really felt like we had some sort of strange void in our lives.

Enter God. Trevor and I had been very rebellious about attending church since we were married. We went sporadically through the years, but never really got involved and only went when it was convenient and didn't disrupt our sleep or plans. I was convicted about a year ago to start attending church because I had become hyper-aware of how much my kids needed to be there. I started going every Sunday, found a great women's Sunday School class and began to make friends. About 6 months later (as a direct result of a massive prayer effort on the part of my SS class) we joined a small group composed of couples with young children and Trevor was convicted of his need for church as well.

As we got to know the couples in our small group, we grew to love each of them and discovered a wonderful fellowship and network of which we were a part. These people have become such an integral part of our lives and we are so blessed. It just proves that if you leave yourself open to God's will that you will be blessed beyond measure.

Well, today Trevor needed to cut down a largish tree in our backyard to make room for a new cover for our deck. The usual suspects were there to help...his dad and brother, but now there was a new player. Our friend Kenneth (whose wife is my enchanting, wonderful friend Kellye!) came over to help as well. But Kenneth doesn't just help. He gives every ounce of energy that he has to get the job done. He goes above and beyond just helping and does it cheerfully with a willing spirit. They got the tree felled and stacked (for next year's firewood) and then dug post holes for the new cover that will be installed next weekend. In between all of this, Kellye and Kenneth fried up some of the best catfish that I have ever had.

Kellye and I visited inside and had a great time just catching up while the guys worked outside. As I was sitting there with her, I was struck once again with the feeling of wonder that we had found these friends that will always be there for us and always support us. Not just in the fun things, but in the more serious, theological ways. I feel certain that they would both pull us aside in Christian love if they saw us straying from the path that God has in store for us. And I feel equally as certain that we would do it for them as well. That's what having Christian friends is all about. We love and support each other in a way that is filtered through biblical truth and Godly love.

Thank you, Lord. Thank you for sending Kellye and Kenneth into our lives. Thank you for the other friends we have made in our small group and we look forward to those relationships growing and flourishing as we get to know each of them better.