A Friend Loveth At All Times

A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Proverbs 17:17 (KJV)

“A friend loveth at all times, when things are good or bad. A friend loveth at all times, rejoices when you’re glad. A friend is always faithful. A friend is always true. A friend loveth at all times, like the friend, I’ll be to you.” Wow! I was able to dredge that up from way back in my memory. Those are the words to a song that we used to sing in Sunbeams, preschool Sunday School when I was three to five years old. Now, as an adult, I can appreciate the way our teachers taught us Bible verses set to music that almost fifty years later I still remember. I started thinking about those times when prompted by Sand Castle Momma who gave me a friendship award today. She asks some questions about my friends that I am to answer. They are:

1. Do you have the same friends since childhood? Some, as a matter of fact, I talk to one every day and even sleep with him. That is my husband whom I have known since our preschool days. One of my best friends is my college roommate, and we have been friends for thirty two years! Oh, my word, I am getting old. I have some dear friends through church who I can’t imagine life without. Some of them I have known since our kids were in preschool. I have my horseback riding buddy, too. I also keep in touch with a few other childhood friends, but usually only once or twice a year. But, I know where to find them should I need them! Now I have blogger friends, too.

2. What do you value most about your friends? I value friends who can help me see the positive even in the roughest situations. Who help me see what is good and true. Who can make me laugh when I would rather cry.

3. Are your friends your sounding boards? What else are friends for? I have one particularly good friend who just looks at me and knows what I am thinking because she is usually thinking the same thing. We can keep each other accountable to shutting our mouths and not saying it aloud.

4. What is your favorite activity to share with your friends? Eating, laughing, doing crafts, traveling together.

What I would really like to say about friends is that to have one, you have to be one. It is so easy for my life to get all about me and to forget to check in with my friends to see what is happening in their lives, and how to encourage, pray for or help when I can. Time just slips through my fingers and if I am not careful, months go by without any meaningful contact. Things get superficial, how’s the weather, have a good week sort of conversations. A friend loveth at all times and a brother is born for adversity. Now, you have to excuse me. I am going to go call a dear friend and see what she is up to today.

Oh, and the award… Back at you SandCastle Momma and also Danielle, Vicky, Suze, Beverly and Sophie. See their links to the left of this post. And to the nonblogger friends who still stop by to read my musings, Penny, Patty, Julie, Bethany, Di, Karen, Cindy, and Christina.