We met in 1983 and slowly, but surely we became good friends over the years.
And then I got divorced and as is usually the case, sides have to be taken and friendships, relationships come to an abrupt end.
Our friendship of fifteen years was one of the casualties… There were certainly no hard feelings on my part. There probably were no hard feelings on his side either. This is just the way things go. I wish it was otherwise…
About four of five years ago, after a fifteen year moratorium of silence, I reached out via email to let my friend know I still cared about him and his beautiful family. I cannot tell you how much my heart skipped when he responded and wanted to catch up by phone.
And so we did… Yes, some boundaries are still necessary. No, we don’t talk every day. We talk about three or four times a year. We send an occasional text when our favorite sports teams are winning National Championships. We give each other a hard time about who takes the most naps at work after lunch.
The foundation of the friendship is there and that’s really all I need. I don’t know if that’s all he needs. I love my friend.
My friend loves me.
Oh, he would be hard pressed to ever say it out loud for anyone to hear.
But…
I know he loves me…
Yesterday, he showed me just how much…
I was in a real pickle. I was getting ready to make a decision which would have some major financial ramifications. I needed to talk with someone who knew the ins and outs of finances. My friend was the one I reached out to…
I explained the situation. He listened. He asked questions. He asked some more questions. We danced around some issues. I offered a myriad of excuses and explanations.
And then all of a sudden, like the rush of a tidal wave, my friend’s voice became passionate, his words like a sword piercing my conscience and my soul, opening me up to hear what my deafened ears were not hearing up until that moment…
“David… accept where you are. Remember who you are. Remember the message God has given you to share. Love your family. Enjoy your kids while you can. Keep having the great impact on people you have…”
He went on some more, but he didn’t need to…
His words hit me like a ton of bricks…
I started to cry…
And in the nanosecond of that moment, two powerful things hit me…
Number one… my friend was passionate because he loves me and he cares for me!
Number two… I had just heard, through my friend…
The Voice of God.
SeeingGodatWorkEveryDay…
Have you every wondered what God’s voice sounds like?
Does God have a deep voice?
Northern or Southern accent?
In the scriptures we read of God speaking to Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Mary, Jesus, Peter and Paul.
But, does God’s voice speak to you?
Listen up…
The Voice of God speaks every day.
Through our spouses,
through our children,
through our co-workers,
through our neighbors,
through our Pastors,
through our family,
You know?
God might even speak to you through a friend you only talk to three or four times a year!
Thank you God for speaking to me yesterday through my friend, whose words served as a great reminder to remember who I am and whose I am!
¹¹ “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.
And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19: 11-13)
p.s. To my friend… I love you too…
SeeingGodatWorkEveryDay…
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!
www.daviddendy.com