Friendship

     All the kids (from 4 different families) in a recent trip to Little Washington, NC.  The parents of all these kids are not pictured as I have no picture of all us parents... which is just as well, since our advanced ages makes for a slightly less appealing photograph.  But trust me, we were all lookin' good.  Sort of.
     We had the best time.  For the past few years, the other 3 families--the Pages, the Dwights, and the Martins--have been getting together just after Christmas for a couple of days, but this was the first year the Fountain clan could join them.  And, boy, had we been missing out!  We had a scavenger hunt (more on that tomorrow), games, food, more food, oysters, smores (now we're talking!), laughter, talking, basketball and a couple of power walks... O, and did I mention, food?
     There's just nothing like true fellowship with dear friends, is there?  Just the other day I met with a couple of close friends at a coffee shop.  I had so much to do and wondered why on earth I was making time for coffee with buddies when I should have been crossing items off my to do list.  So so wrong.  I cannot tell you what a joy it was to get with them, to laugh, to talk, to share our struggles and our hearts.  What a gift our friends are.
     And how easy it is in this frenetic world to neglect spending time with those we love--both family and friends.   God has given us this gift of friendship to encourage us, to give us strength for the journey, to spur us on.  I love how the writer to the Hebrews puts it: "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Heb.10:24-25)
     Our friends--just another priceless gift from our relentlessly generous Heavenly Father.
     C.S.Lewis writes: "Friendship is the greatest of worldly goods.  Certainly to me it is the chief happiness of life.  If I had to give a piece of advice to a young man about a place to live, I think I should say, 'sacrifice almost everything to live where you can be near your friends.'  I know I am fortunate in that respect."
      So today, I just want to thank the Lord for the incalculable gift of friends.  One more C.S.Lewis quote: "Is any  pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a fire?"  I think not... unless maybe it's around a very large, very chocolate cake!
      Might we thank the Lord, who is Himself a community of three always in perfect fellowship--Father, Son and Holy Spirit--for the joyous gift of friendship.  Help us Father never to take our friends for granted.  The to-do lists can wait... friends cannot.  To God be the glory.