Sweet friendships refresh the soul and awaken our hearts with joy, for good friends are like the anointing oil that yields the fragrant incense of God’s presence.
Proverbs 27:9 TPT
I just recently went to North Carolina to conduct the Memorial Service for a long-time friend and former church member who had passed away a few weeks before. In planning and leading the Memorial Service I had a lot of time to think about my friend, his family, our friendship, the love and support he had given to me personally and to our church in more ways than I could count. It was a long drive down, a long drive back and some sacred time shared with family and friends that gave rise to some important thoughts. When one ponders the deep and sacred thoughts of standing before a family that has lost their patriarch and others their dear friend, some things come to mind that ought to be named and thought about more.
When we stand at a graveside and look into a hole six feet deep, eight feet long and three feet wide we think about what truly matters as we stand on the top side of the ground. When we stand in front of people gathered to remember and celebrate the life of a shared friend and family member, we think about what truly matters in life.
For one thing, all the irritations, frustrations, differences of opinions, arguments and disagreements that come with any friendship don’t seem to matter all that much. Looking back, we realize that irritations and frustrations, and differences of opinions are a part of life, a part of any relationship but ultimately don’t define our relationships. What truly matters is the camaraderie, the shared joys, the jokes, the deep conversations, the sharing of two souls that truly matter and that are spoken of at such times. We simply can’t let irritations and differences of opinions get in the way of genuine relationships.
For another thing we realize how often we take our friendships, our shared journeys, our times on the trail of life for granted. How often we fail to appreciate how precious our friendships are and the difference we make in one another’s lives. Work, play, busyness, appointments all pale in comparison to our time together. We may take our friendships for granted, but at the end of our time here on earth nothing is more precious than our friends and family.
In one last reflection I want to share the recognition of our shared relationships, the joy of our friendships and the love of our families. May we always be aware of how important our friends are, may we let nothing supersede our families, and may we use as much of our strength and energy to forge the bonds that last. Several friends of the family of my deceased friend drove many miles, used precious time, and made the effort to be there for their friends. How great is that!
We can’t stand in front of a funeral crowd or an empty grave and not reflect on what’s truly important in life. Take the time and make the effort to make new friends but keep the old, for one is silver and the other gold!
In honor of all the friends that have refreshed my soul.
- Robert Chance