"Friendship at its best"

Thursday, May 25, 2017 (5:13 a.m.)

Most Blessed, Holy God,

Thank You!

(6:55 a.m.)

Yes Lord. Thank and praise You!

Thank You for a little bit of extra rest and a whole lot of Your comforting presence. Thank You for clearer thinking. And shared feelings.

Father I am here, asking You to do a miracle. These past several days of funerary [how's that for a word I didn't know!] services has shown me so very much.

The precious husband You have given me labeled it most appropriately. “Friendship at Its Best”. I like that Lord. It helps me breathe easier. More deeply. Oh, look, now there are tears I can't see through.

So, let's take this time together and I won't even try to keep from crying. My words here will reflect my thoughts which are all coming at once and might not make much sense.

Let's start with I love You. Yes. Great place to start. Also, I SEE You. In people. Circumstances. Situations. Thank You. Yes, thank You Father that You love us so much that You are actually here with us.

I forget that. Far too many times I become so focused on details I forget to take a deep breath and look for You.

You know that in no time the powerful events of these past few days will begin to fade from my consciousness. You've been witness to my every experience. That's why I'm bringing it all to You.

Father, You are so good. Your love so pure. Perfect. Unadulterated. We live in such a fallen world that many times we become so accustomed to the counterfeit that we don't recognize the real thing.

Here I beg You. PLEASE let us know You more!

Still the tears fall. And now my nose runs. Thank You for the tissues here at my ready.

Okay, back to the request for a miracle. And I am preparing for the gut wrenching sob I am sure will accompany it.

My friend has been so incredibly hurt through the years that it is hard for her to trust all the love that is right here in front of her. The horrors that she has endured have made her incredibly strong, independent and wary. Father, how I ask You to help her know Your peace.

That ♫peace that passes understanding down in our hearts♫ The peace (Philippians 4:7) that only comes from knowing, loving and trusting You. Blessed God, I'm asking You to gently, yet powerfully, teach her how to let down her guard and rest in You (Psalm 46:10).

Your Word is filled with Truth. With Promises. Guide her to the verses that You would have her claim as her own. Enabling and empowering her to live the abundant life (John 10:10) Your Son came into this world to bring.

Blessed Holy God, we love You. We need You. And we ask You all this in Jesus' most holy and loving name.

Now, back to this “Friendship At Its Best” experience.

Thank You for the opportunity of participating in a seemingly effortless expression of love and support for our friend. Talk about second nature. The decision to be there for her in whatever ways possible was instantaneous. Automatic. An absolute “no brainer”.

Thank You for that Father. Thank You that through our willingness to fully participate in what You have been laying out for us all these years many have been profoundly blessed.

Which brings me once again back to the request for a miracle. Let the scales fall from her eyes, Lord (Acts 9:18). Empower and enable her to TRULY experience the love You have for her.

Jesus said (in John 10:10), “The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” I am asking You to make good on Your promise here.

Work a mighty miracle in her. Perform major surgery on her hurting heart, soul, mind and strength that she would truly come to know, love and trust You. It is only by our experiencing Your perfect love for each of us that we can even begin to live and love freely in You. By You. With You. Through You. For You.

Mm, yes. Please, Father God.

In searching the word loyalty [as in, “Friendship at its best”] I came to Psalm 36. “For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the LORD.” Illustrated Bible Handbook tells us, “The wicked (1-4) are held up and contrasted with God's loving faithfulness (5-12).”

Mm, yes!

The Life Recovery Bible expands on this. “36:1-4 Sins and repeated failures have taken a toll on our life. Sometimes we aren't fully aware of how deceitful we have been or how much damage our sin has done to others. That is why it is important to examine our life carefully as we take moral inventory so that God can begin to help us change the things that need to be changed.”

When it comes to “Friendship at its best” it is our Friendship with YOU that is truly the best! It is only in You that “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28a).

So many translations of Your Word present Your Truth in such different ways. As I prepare to go out into this day that You have made (Psalm 118:24) I truly do ask that “I will rejoice and be glad in it”.

Let me stay reminded that The Message descriptively states, “God's love is meteoric, His loyalty astronomic, His purpose titanic, His verdicts oceanic. Yet in His largeness nothing gets lost; Not a man, not a mouse, slips through the cracks” (Psalm 36:5-6).

Thank You most dear and holy God. Let me serve You well this day. I love You. Amen.

(962 words ~ 8:39 a.m.)