Special Gratitude Edition

As a mother of sons, I’ve had the honor of taking to the dance floor with each of my boys for the traditional mother-son dance. Our younger son married first. He and I wanted something a little light-hearted so we sort of lost our minds and had some fun with K.C. and the Sunshine Band’s “Boogie Shoes.” 😊

Several months later, our older son married. The two of us gave some thought to “our song” and landed on Michael W. Smith’s “Friends” – perfectly appropriate for us. Our relationship had struggled through a few rough years, but by God’s grace and healing, we truly had become not only mother and son, but friends.

Some of the lyrics to the MWS song say,

               “And friends are friends forever

                 If the Lord’s the Lord of them

                 And a friend will not say never

                 ‘Cause the welcome will not end.”

In my six-plus decades of life, I’ve been able to call people of all ages, stages of life, and races “friends.” God the great Artist has bound us together – differences and all - into an exquisite quilt of security, acceptance, and grace through our shared love for our Lord Jesus.

Nurturing those relationships can be challenging due to time constraints and long distances, but the effort never fails to pay off. Lengthy phone calls or meetings over a meal eventually have to end. We say goodbye until we meet again. We cheerfully remind each other of the eternity we’ll have to visit, laugh, and enjoy Jesus together – rockers on porches with coffee in hand, long walks through the gardens of Paradise, discovering more of Jesus and the Kingdom of God when we actually reside in His heaven.

These are more than casual friendships. These are those who take the middle-of-the-night phone call, who show up for the hard stuff, who wrap us in their hugs and cry along with us. They drop a meal at our doorstep when we’re too sick to get out, they bring chocolate, and they send voice memos with their prayers and the promises of God. The valleys are the true test of friendship, and those who’ve sojourned with us through those valleys have proven to be golden in every way – “forever friends,” to be sure.

These are the same friends who celebrate even the smallest victories with us! They’re excited when our dreams begin to come true to the glory of God. They’re just as quick to thank Him for our victories as they are to storm His gates with our heartaches. They make us laugh and remind us to not sweat the small stuff. They keep our steps light with their sunshine and encouragement. Our burdens are only half as heavy because our “forever friends” joyfully and willingly step in to carry them with us.

I’ve been to a few MWS concerts, and at every one, he’s been requested to sing “Friends.” He’s even jokingly said that he’s a little tired of singing it, but since he’s an entertainer, he gives the audience what it wants. The folks wouldn’t be happy if they didn’t hear it one more time. There’s a reality in the words that rings true with all of us. Through moves, changes in circumstances or even death, our friendships may be put on pause, but we take comfort in this: “Friends are friends forever if the Lord’s the Lord of them.”

Gracious Father, we’re humbled that the God of the universe would desire that we know You as our “Friend,” and we thank You for the gift of “forever friends!” Thank You for bringing people across our paths in different seasons of life who bless us and point us to You – for a day, a year or a lifetime. Thank You for allowing us to use the gifts You’ve given us to serve and care for our precious friends. You are a relational God, and in Your kindness, You’ve provided for us fellow travelers to walk the journey Home. May we never take them for granted. May we always remember that each friend is a gift from the Giver of every good and perfect gift. And may we delight always in the faithful friendship of our Lord Jesus. Thanking You in His beautiful Name, amen.

*****

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” – Proverbs 17:17