Are Friends Truly Friends Forever

Years ago when Deborah Smith wrote the words to the song, Friends are Friends forever. And her husband Michael W. Smith sang it as only he can. Every youth choir began to sing it as their tribute to the experiences they had on their Summer Youth Trip. Couples used it as part of their tribute to their relationship as they began their marriage and parents used it to reflect the journey of their children when they graduated high school. The Choir goes: "And friends are friends forever If the lords the lord of them. And a friend will not say never cause the welcome will not end Though its hard to let you go In the fathers hands we know That a lifetimes not too long to live as friends." But after experiences the loss of a friend over the past couple of years, not to death but to rejection. I ponder this statement.

We are both Godly women, love the Lord, walked through hell and back more than a few times over. Cried together, laughed together, shared endless cups of coffee and chocolate together. A friendship that had stood the test of time for over twenty plus years. But yet, my friend choose to close the door without reason. A year or so earlier when the door was being pushed closed, she stated because of my choices of other friends, that she did not approve of, she had to separate herself from me. She also stated that she did not think I had used wise judgement on a situation. She never asked my side or what was my reasons were. She just began quietly began shutting the door. After all these years the door was firmly closed and the Do Not Disturb - Keep Out Sign was hung. Throwing me into the same grief one goes through in the death of a loved one. I have anguished and prayed and pondered and sought the Lord on how to deal with this loss.

Years ago with this very friend, I heard Joyce Meyers talk about loosing all her friends. We even had a conversation over how could good friends, best friends, soul mate friends, Godly friends stop! Trust me when I tell you I never wanted to know what it was to walk through this.

Not long ago my daughter and I had a very heated discussion about me, my personality, my tone of voice and bluntness. She felt like I had paused away those that I had once been friends with because of these traits. For I myself had been before the Lord concerning the distance and bubble He had placed between me and those I considered friends. Many whom over the years have moved away and I had lost contact with, those that had families and husbands and careers that kept them from being able to have free time for visits. Other's whom I have no doubt had backed away because of my stand on specific subjects that were different than theirs.

Interestingly enough friends from years gone by have begun to surface from different places and different areas of my life.

Then late last night I read my daughter's blog about her friends over the years. Are Friends really Forever? began stirring in my spirit. What about our friends?

Today on Facebook someone asked about True Friends and as I was reading through some comments on different people's pictures and they listed, Good Friends, Best Friends and Soul Mates. The numbers associated with these categories we over 50. That is a lot of good, best and even one had 70 Soul Mate Friends. WOW. And the person talking about True friends wanted to know how to find and keep True Friends.

Over the span of some fifty years, God has brought in and out of my life precious friends, good friends, Godly Soul Mate friends. But I have faced the physical death of a friend, and I have faced the separation due to circumstances of life separation of friends. But I have never experienced the death of a friendship as I have the past several years. The thing that is so crushing, is that I have watched other good friends face the closing of the door by their "Good Godly friends". As far as soul mate friends go, there are those rare precious ones, that through it all have never turned away. We may not see each other or talk to each other, but it never changes, it is the constant knowing that we have each others backs.

No Friends are not always Friends Forever, even when the Lord is the Lord of them. But to be the friend forever! Even if it means taking the bullet for them.

My personal belief is that to be a friend is to listen, encourage tell them the truth in kindness, be yourself, give them the love, the mercy and the grace, Abba Father gives to you. If you believe you need to separate yourself from the friendship share what you see to be the reason. Then go in Peace.

The old Girl Scout song - Make New Friends, but Keep the Old - One is Silver and the Other Gold.

I have taken the statements from my daughter, the hurt, the pain, laid them at Abba's feet. I asked Him to show me, heal me and guide me. He has sown me many precious Friends that I do have and have been apart of my life journey. Renewed old Friends and even brought in some new ones.

To all my Friends near and far, as Woody says in Toy Story - "You've Got A Friend In Me."