Journeying to Grace

I just spent too much time (way too much time) browsing online for a good ‘friend’ gift. A gift for a best friend of over 30 years who is moving out of state soon. (And not even to a state nearby.) There were several gift ideas to choose from: mugs, jewelry, candles, plaques, water bottles, figurines, and much, much more. All of them have a ‘friend’ sentiment written on them. Some of the quotes are cheesy, some are funny, some are serious, yet all of them are true. So many things to say—how do you capture it all on one item?

Though I struggle to come up with the right words to convey how much she and her friendship mean to me, I have been offering many prayers of thanksgiving for her—and for all the dear and wonderful friends God has given me. We know it would be very difficult to navigate our journeys alone. Family typically gets us started spiritually, but as we grow and step away from that foundation, God gives us one another as companions, as true friends in faith.

I think through these unique and blessed friendships, God hears our prayers and the deepest longings in our hearts. In our most trusted and beloved friends, we share our worries, our fears, our hopes, our joys. We ask them to listen to us, to guide us, to support us, to believe in us, and—to pray for us. As an answer to our prayers, they offer us strength when we are weak, comfort when we grieve, joy when we celebrate, and encouragement when we doubt. Together, guided by God’s grace and gratitude for each other, we move forward in love, faith, and truth. ‘For I long to see you, that I may share with you some spiritual gift so that you may be strengthened that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by one another’s faith, yours and mine.’ (Rom 1:11-12)  What an extraordinary gift!

When I first sought a present for my friend (I did decide on a cool bracelet), I originally felt the need to get her something to remember me by, but I realized how silly that sounded. She’s not going to forget me, but I did want to acknowledge her friendship, this life-giving gift from God. As we all think about and cherish our friends, those nearby and those who have moved away, let us give thanks for the lessons they have taught us, the love they have shown us, and the faith they have grown in us. And let us continue to be true friends in faith, sharing in the love of God and one another.