MY LONG LOST FRIENDSHIPS

The type of friendships that are found in a church go beyond earthly . . because they have heavenly connectons. I often find myself separated over the years from a dear friend . . only to renew that acquaintance and to find that its just as strong as ever.

I recently reconnected with my friend Bob Craig, if only online and through his blog. It's a good one at http://www.claybreadbox.blogspot.com/. It was so refreshing for me to remember the great times that we have spent together. It puts a lump in my heart as well as my throat. As I think of Bob and Catherine and their wonderful children, I am reminded that this is just a simple picture of what heaven will be like. We'll gather as the family of God around the throne to worship our risen Savior. I think there will be a lump in our hearts as we worship together.

After moving back to Texas following a lifetime in the far country, we were able to re-up and become close friends with our German friends, the Holsingers. They are really not from Germany, but they are from the far north of Pennsylvania and Ohio, and they were dear friends of ours back in the Hurst days. They went on many mission trips with us when our families were young, but we had been out of close touch over the years. Terry went through some major open heart surgery, moved to California for a time, and then came back to settle again in Texas. Terry's ancestry is with the Brethren Church, but they chose to become very faithful Baptists when there was no "home" church for them. We travel with them now, and they are dear friends in Christ. They are the type of friends that cannot be explained. Lump to the heart?

I talked recently with my dear friend Dayton King who worked for the Baptist Convention of New Mexico for many years. He is retiring at the end of October, and the two of us talked together of the "good old days" in denominational life. You can tell we're both getting old because we used the term "good old days." We've traveled lots of miles together; he is a faithful friend who has given his life to reach others for Christ.

Wouldn't it be terrible to not have close Christian friends? I relish the opportunity of earthly friends . . who are friends for eternity.