FRIENDS COME AND GO

Monday, September 17, 2007

Our friends of forty years came on Friday and left after church on Sunday. They live hundreds of miles from us and will not be home until sometime late this evening. We don't know when we will see them again. Life is short and all four of us are getting close to "the off ramp."

Our friendship with the male member of this pair is nothing short of amazing. He is controlling and irritating to the point of making you want to scream. He is arbitrary, stubborn and does his own thing regardless of who disagrees with him. And yet, in the face of all this--he is one of our dearest friends. We can't imagine life without him. Does he affect others in this way? Yes. And many retreat. This makes me sad for all concerned. Everybody is missing a lot, especially him.

Will he ever change. No way! He would say with Popeye, "I am what I am".

I heard a sermon yesterday that makes me want to stop trying to control everything and everybody and leave it/them up to God. I will do what I can do and ask Him to do what only He can do.

"God help me to live each day with more kindness and grace." Amen!