May 25 – “Old friends”

 

 

I worked on a sermon most of the day yesterday.  We are wading through the Book of Esther.  This week Haman gets to lead his arch-nemesis Mordecai through the streets of Susa proclaiming him as a friend of the king.  Not exactly the scenario he had hoped for when the day began.  Should be a lot of fun.  I have one unusual presentation point up my sleeve.  Needs two volunteers … Hope I can figure out a way to make it work.

 

I also received an invitation yesterday that was too good to turn down.  No, it wasn't to one of the myriad of graduations going on around here.  I've done one of those and still have another tonight, then Thursday, then Friday.  Not sure if I'll be able to get to all of them, but I'd like to try.  The invitation I'm talking about, though, didn't even come in the mail.  It was hand-delivered.  Well, it was delivered by mouth.  In person.  Chris asked me to join her for a good, old-fashioned trip to WalMart to buy groceries.  It was time to get the goodies for our Memorial Day family fish fry.  By goodies I mean other than the fish.  I've been working on that one already.  But we did need the other stuff that goes with it.  Plenty of ketchup.  Tartar sauce.  Potatoes.  Corn on the cob.  Green beans.  Chris' all-time favorite – a watermelon.  What we got was really of secondary importance, however.  All through our married career, our favorite place to hang out together and talk has been walking through the aisles of the grocery store, so it was like another flashback, a blast from the past, a return to simpler times, a … a date. 

 

Only one person ended up coming to our home Bible study last night.  Most of the others called to let us know what was happening in their lives for the evening.  It was good to spend some time with Betty, though.  She's Mom's best friend and has been for years. 

 

I guess today was the day for old friends.  We had a knock on the door at one point in the afternoon.  Who should be standing there, but Marvin, an old friend from our basketball days with CHSA (Christian Home School Athletics).  He had taken his son over to the old airplane museum at the airport and stopped by to chat.  He has always been one of my favorite people.  He always has a smile and an encouraging word.  Great to see him. 

 

1 John 4:7-8 says, "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

 

Father, thanks for friends who stand the test of time (read here "old").  Amen.