Words from WW Blog

 ^“Jonathan said, “Go in peace! The two of us have vowed friendship in God’s name, saying, ‘God will be the bond between me and you, and between my children and your children forever!’” (1 Samuel 20:42, The Message)

Carol and I recently took a road trip from our home in Colorado back to Michigan and Ohio. My sister and her family live at the southern-most tip of Ohio. My brother’s oldest son who resides in Maryland (and is finally a happy Baltimore Orioles fan) was also going to be visiting with his two children for one of the days we were there. So, it was a meaningful trip to see family.

But the other purpose of the trip was to see four old friends who have meant so much to me during my life. Two of those friends have had some serious health issues in recent times. Two of them had been middle school classmates of mine back in South Zanesville, Ohio, who I hadn’t seen since my family moved in 1969 to Ironton, Ohio. Facebook has allowed us to get back together, reestablish our bond of friendship, and reveal the health concerns that have become a dominant part of life.

Friendship is a blessed gift from God. It reinforces the relational longing that is a part of our created DNA. We were not created to go it alone. Some people may be more stoic, more reserved, but there is still a void within us that needs the nourishment of friendship.

In the Old Testament story of Jonathan and David, the reader senses the agony and sorrow that have become a part of the friendship of the two young men because of the jealousy of Jonathan’s father, King Saul. The two friends embrace and weep over the pain that has become a daily storm in their lives. They realize that things have changed and each of them by necessity is going their own way. 

When I embraced each of my midwestern friends after so many years apart, my soul ached for the various afflictions they’ve endured and are still experiencing. They are dear brothers who have found a residence within me. Who I am today has the impressions of their influences still appearing in the seams of my actions, values, and words. 

My eyes moistened on each goodbye. Each embrace brought back a flood of memories— basketball games, conversations, laughter and pranks. The reunions also brought regrets that had not been able to be there with each of them in their celebrations and, more recently, their struggles. 

And so I thank God for friends and, as anti-cultural as it sounds, I thank Him for the ache of friendship. 

This entry was posted on July 14, 2023 at 10:49 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.