I'm looking for a good friend.

Few people set off with the quest to “look” for a good friend. Relationships, friendships seem to happen all on their own. But friends have a myriad of facets—they come and go, leave an imprint in your heart, make a difference, spill a bit of joy, give you a bit of insight, or some even disappoint you. All kinds of friends, all kinds of effects they leave etched in our lives.

Yesterday, I had a delightful conversation with a good friend, Patti; our memories took us back to our college era. We connected after over thirty years. Gulp, thirty years! How time slipped by

And when we reconnected, we just picked up our conversation as if we just spoke days prior. Strange isn’t it? The same bond, the same affection, the same connection hadn’t faded. Years hadn’t changed or wiped away that sweet bond that faintly swayed in the recesses of our hearts.

How can that happen after that length of time? In a moment of quiet, I figured the reason why. I believe it’s because way back then we connected in a crucial point in our lives. A point where we were both trying to figure our direction, trying to sort out our feelings, our convictions, and path for our life. We were vulnerable to life’s turns and hung on to what was familiar in order to face the storms that roiled our heart—a date for Saturday night, fretting about an Economics test, what to wear to the next dance—crucial issues for us then, but how silly they seem now.

Those friends settled in a very special spot in our hearts—untouched, unchanged, and unwavering. [Sigh.] So, the connection is sweet and for a moment you’re both transported to that reassuring moment you relished so many years ago.

How wonderfully similar is our friendship with our precious Lord. He was the one who was present in our moments of insecurity, of longings for an answer, a glimpse of hope when we drowned in inexplicable tears, and even in an instant of desperation. He was the friend who scooped our heart from the anguish and placed it in his hand and began to breathe love, unconditional love to soothe the pain. He indeed was the friend who’d carry us through all those moments when life didn’t make sense.

We settled in His arms, we abided in Him, live in Him and placed our address in the palm of His hand.

But then it happens, subtly and unnoticed-- life drives a wedge between the Friend of our soul. We drift apart, and instead of abiding in Him, we let the struggles of life, the challenges of daily life. and the angst that punctures our moments pull us far from Him.

Reconnecting is sweet; good for the soul and reviving for the heart…hmm...do you think the Lord knew that? Maybe that’s why He says, "I am the vine, and you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing” (John 15:5-9).

Do nothing? Apart from the Vine of His love, nothing we do can have lasting meaning, significance or worth.

I invite you to reconnect…nothing sweeter than that.

Janet

I'd love your comments, just send them to: jeckles@cfl.rr.com.

Janet Perez Eckles
www.janetperezeckles.com

“Life is not about what you cannot do because of circumstances out of your control. Success comes when you recognize what you can do with what God has given you.”

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