Old Friends

For some reason, I’ve recently run into a number of old friends—that is, friends from the past, not “aged” friends.  In supermarkets, restaurants, the park; via phone calls, Facebook, impromptu visits, I’ve connected with a number of people I haven’t seen in at least a year.  One guy called whom I hadn’t spoken to in probably 25 years! This past week I even had dinner with my former pastor—the pastor under whom I worked when I first finished seminary.

I don’t know about you, but I find connecting with people from the past can be both exciting and a bit difficult.  It’s great to catch up on life and find out what’s been going on with them and their family.  It’s fun to hear the stories of what has been taking place in their life and to share your own stories.  But, it can also be difficult.  For one, where do you start when they ask, “So, what’s been going on?”  And, then there are the bits of sad news that rise to the surface: the divorce, the death of a spouse, the loss of faith, etc.  And there is often the sense that so much of life has gone by, life has changed, and we who were once sharing our lives have now been separated by time and space. 

Through all of these recent encounters, I have been reminded that every person God brings into my life, even if it is for just a brief season of my life, is a gift from his hand.  I been reminded of my need to be mindful that the time we have together is not for forever.  Thus, I ought to treasure each person, each relationship, and every experience that we are allowed to share.  And, let me encourage each of you to do the same. 

So, today I am grateful for my “old friends”—people who, throughout the years have blessed my life; people who have shared bits of pieces of my life. My prayer for each of them, for all my “old friends” (and for my new ones) is this:  “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”  (2 John 2)

And, I do especially hope and pray that your “soul is getting along well” in our Lord Jesus.

Have a great day!

Pastor Tim Harris