Friend

Once again, I'm joining in on the Five Minute Friday with Lisa Jo Baker and a whole community of bloggers.  She gives us word prompt and we write for 5 minutes flat.  Go.

"Thank you for being a friend"  

"Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold"

"Friends are friends forever if the Lord is Lord of them"

"That's what friends are for"

"You've got a friend in me"

"I get by with a little help from my friends"

"Now I've found a place in this circle of friends"

These are just some of the "friend" songs that popped into my head.  You are now probably stuck singing one of them over and over.  

I am so grateful that God has given me such wonderful friends throughout my life.  Some have stayed, and some were only part of one chapter of my storybook.  Although I don't really have a "bestie", I have some really wonderful women in my life, who I love dearly, and I believe love me in return.  

Chandra (l) & Sara (r) around 1999

One of my dearest and oldest friends is Sarah Hernandez.  We've been friends for nearly 25 years.  We don't live near each other, but try to get together about once a quarter to catch up on our lives, and to get a breath of fresh air.  The value of my friendship with Sarah is priceless.  We are made from the same thread.  We grew up under the same ministry, during our teen years, and into our early twenties.  When Sarah speaks to me, she speaks truth, but she is not loud and opinionated.  She speaks with meekness and consideration, and the Holy Spirit has used her on more than one occasion to convict me, encourage me, teach me, help me, and inspire me.  Sarah has seen me at my best and at my worst.  She has lifted me up in prayer, and has walked with me through some of my worst insecurities.  

I know not everyone has a "Sarah" in their life, but, oh, I pray that God would allow everyone that.  Oh, that God would grant each of us a Jonathan and David relationship throughout our lives.  1 Samuel 18:1 says "the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul."  What a valuable treasure, to have a friend that your souls are knit together.  

I like this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:  "The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, not the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship."

In other words, there is true inspiration that comes when you know that your friend believes in you and is willing to trust you with their heart.

Father, I pray over my friends today.  I lift them up and ask you to bless them and keep them.  Make your face to shine upon them.  Let their countenance shine with your glory.  Be the glory and the lifter of their head.  Father, in those areas where they are weak, I pray that you make them strong.  I thank you God, that you love them greatly, and I thank you that you are providing their needs in every area of their life.  I thank you that they feel calm, rested, relaxed in the knowledge that you, Creator of all things, love them with an everlasting love.  Let them know that, and be reminded of that today.  In Jesus name, Amen!