
There's no question that one of the greatest gifts God has given to us is the gift of friendship. I was reminded of that this past week as Sandy and I traveled to Houston for a week of vacation. Houston holds a special place in our hearts because it was where we met, where our kids were born, and where we had our first ministry. Houston is also home to some very special friends.
One of the unique things about friendship is that it is something that can bring great joy and great heartache. No doubt that's why Paul instructs us to "rejoice with those who rejoice" and "mourn with those who mourn" in Romans 12. We did both of those things while in Houston. I have t
wo close friends named Darrel and David who I lived with before any of us were married. Sandy and I married first and then I had the privilege of marrying Darrel and Kathie and then David and Suzanne. Kathie and Suzanne stood with Sand
y and Darrel and David stood with me when we were married. Suzanne is Sandy's long-time best friend who lived down the street from her while she was growing up. I don't have enough room in this blog to describe the depth of our friendship. So when we travel to Houston it's like we travel back in time and experience life the way it was over twenty-five years ago. We eat together, we go to movies together, we shop together, we play golf together, we stay up late together, but mostly we laugh together.




I love the fun that friendship brings. I love the laughter and the celebration...I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I feel the same way about the sadness and the pain that friendship can sometimes bring. It was a different kind of joy that Sandy and I felt as we sat there on the patio with Rusty, but it was still joy. Proverbs 17:17 says, A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. (NIV)
Do you have a friend that you haven't laughed or cried with in a while? Life gets busy with work and grocery shopping and paying bills and Super Bowls and meetings and shoveling driveways and time spent worrying and sitting in front of a computer screen like I'm doing right now. Don't miss out on friendship. Don't miss out on the full experience of friendship. Whether you're laughing or crying, there's no question it's one of God's greatest gifts.
Pastor Chris
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