Today’s Scripture: Matthew 4:19
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” (NIV)
“Make new friends, but the keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold” is a line from a Girl Scout song that I learned as a child. It is so true: friends are treasures, and old ones are truly gold.
Artwork by Patrick Barbier
I have a dear friend who I have known since kindergarten. She is the kind of friend that even if you haven’t seen each other in a long time, you can still pick up where you left off as if no time has gone by. She is has a personality that makes you feel comfortable and she has the most entertaining stories. She will make you laugh until you cry.
I hadn’t seen my friend in awhile when she gave me a call back in September 2013. She called me because she had heard that my dad wasn’t doing well, and she wondered if there was any way she could help. She asked if she and her mom could visit my mom since my mom was probably lonely with my dad in the hospital or nursing home. They visited my mom on several occasions that month. My mom enjoyed those visits as they spent time sharing stories and laughter.
During the week of my father’s death and funeral, she helped our family in so many ways. She spent some of the evenings with my mom as the rest of us dealt with family obligations and funeral arrangements. She was with us during the visitations and funeral and became a rock for all of us to lean on. Her friendship is truly a gift from God. This reminds me to be a “fisher of people” and contact an old friend as you may be a gift from God to them.