April 13 – “Kids’ Friends”

I am very impressed with the cache of friends that our sons have developed over the years.  It's one of the things parents worry about from the time their children are toddling around on the playground.  How will they handle peer pressure?  Will they be leaders or followers?  Will they do anything stupid?  And how will I handle it?  Will I let them discover things for themselves, even if it means they will get hurt?  Will I be over-protective?  Will I show tough love?    Kel was always very cautious in his dealings with people.  Not that he didn't have friends.  There was always a friend or two in the mix.  He just played his cards close to the vest in relationships.  Since he has become a homeowner, he has called upon friends and acquaintances for help in things like installing a dishwasher or moving in a washer and dryer.  At his most recent abode, he has received assistance in dealing with swarms of wasps and bees and yellow jackets (my personal nemesis), as well as in identifying rat snakes in the back yard (ah, life in the country).    Josh has always been the one with the sympathetic heart, in tune with the emotions of those around him.  People like to be near him because he will find some way to speak a word of encouragement or support.  When he and Christi bought their house in Mansfield, it was a mess.  It was a foreclosure and there were many things that had to be repaired.  Primarily through church contacts he was able to get the house fixed up and quite livable.  And he even ended up with a bouncy house guy for a friend, so when we evacuated for Hurricane Ike one of those contraptions showed up in the back yard.    Nathan has always been able to start relationships with people of all types.  He can hold his own with churchy people, and he is great at getting to know those who are what others would consider to be "in crisis."  He is generous almost to a fault, willing to give the shirt off his back to help.  Being the guy with a truck, he has helped friends move countless times.  That attitude, along with his entry into the community of fire fighters, has resulted in a repertoire of friendships that never ceases to amaze me.   Nathan has a "friend" who can do anything.  It's not the same friend every time, though.  After Hurricane Ike it was a friend of Nathan who sandblasted our Franklin stove, thus rescuing it from the trash heap.  Another buddy offered his house as a site for Cailyn's first birthday party.  A friend of Nathan's was who we called to ask about restoring Mom's table.  When he wanted to have a crawfish boil, he knew just who to call.  So when our lawn mower started sputtering, who else would I call?  Sure enough Nathan has a friend who just happens to work on lawn mowers on the side.  It may take awhile for us to make contact, but I'd sure rather trust my Briggs and Stratton to someone I know, rather than to the Home Depot sub-contractor.    Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up.  But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!"   Father, thank you for the friends you have blessed Chris and me with over the years.  And thanks you for the friends you have provided to touch the lives of our sons.  But thanks most of all for the opportunities our boys have had to be a friend.  And for the character they have showed in accepting that responsibility.  Amen.