Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Best Friends Forever

We read in (James 2:23) in the Bible that Abraham was called the friend of God.  I don’t know about you, but true friends are hard to come by.  A friend is more precious than having tickets to premium seats at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Though enjoyable and entertaining at the time, events in the Garden do not last, whereas a lifelong friend is forever; someone that sticks closer than a brother.  They understand you like no one else and are always ready to listen when times get tough.

In the tech world of informational knowhow, the ability to text and receive text messages is amazing technology, in my humble opinion.  It is mind blowing if you ask me.

I am an old guy that still remembers standing in a group of coworkers and hearing a pager sound out and everyone looking at their device to see if it was their pager going off.

Learning the lingo or should I say the shorthand version of sharing messages is quite challenging for this Senior Citizen.  I’m sure you have heard the expression, “You can’t teach old dogs’ new tricks.”  This certainly applies to me.

I am glad I have the Internet to ask what certain letters mean when I receive texts from my grandkids who are savvy and up on new ways to message that are overflowing with abbreviations. 

The following are just a few examples:  LOL…Laughing Out Loud; BRB…Be Right Back; WFH…Working From Home; IMHO…In My Humble Opinion; and the one that takes us back to my thought for today, BFF…Best Friends Forever.

My BFF is more precious than rubies—my wife.  God must have loved me a whole bunch to entrust this treasure to my safe keeping, to love and cherish till death do us part.

Before she came into my life, I was searching in all the wrong places for a companion to settle me down.  I could not find her anywhere until I included God in the search. 

During my failed attempts to locate her, I believed the Lord knew exactly where she was, but I hadn’t talked to Him in years since I was in my late teens.  It was at this rebellious time in my life that I strayed from His safekeeping and went my own way.

In my twenties, I was not a born-again Christian at this juncture.  I had been around the block of hard knocks a few times and was frustrated with the unsettled turmoil that was going on inside me.  I avoided God, while evading peace…not a good choice.

I thought I would take a chance and see what God could do for me.  I had no intension of allowing myself to renew my relationship with Him.  I just wanted a wife, a good woman to call my own.  I needed a person that understood me, loved me, and could tame me, thus helping me turn over new life ambitions.

In the next few moments, I found myself kneeling next to the unmade bed in my apartment bedroom.  I blurted out, “You know where she is!  Send her to me!

Strange as it may sound, I felt the wooing and tug of the Holy Spirit in my heart.  I thought God had forsaken me, because of my rebellious spirit.  But I was wrong!  He was standing patiently in line awaiting my return to Him.  He did not leave; it was me that walked away from Him.

Suddenly, a verse of scripture came thundering into my head that I had learned in Sunday School as a lad.  “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”  (Matthew 6:33). 

I sensed God was asking me this question: “How can I send you something good, when you’re living the life, you’re living?”  I was at a crossroads.  I felt a decision had to be made. 

I was given a choice… seek God and His righteousness and receive the desires of my heart or continue down the turbulent road of despair where peace eluded me.  He no longer wanted to be at the bottom of the list of desires, but at the top of my list.  God did not want to be turned on and off like a radio when I needed something.

You know the answer.  I went God’s way, which changed the course of the rest of my life.  Yes, you guessed it.  He sent me the woman I had been searching for…the wife I adore…my BFF.

God restored my relationship with His Son, Jesus.  He died on a cross for my sins, and because of His death and resurrection I am blessed with an abundant life that is full of peace and contentment…my BFF.

(John 15:13) “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

Written by,

Papa Boyd

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