“Sweet friendship refreshes the soul." ~ Proverbs 27:9
I grew up in the 50s with practical
parents. My mother reused aluminum foil.
My Dad was happier getting old shoes
fixed than buying new ones. I saved the
wire from spiral notebooks.
Families like ours had little
spare money for treats like cinema trips and vacations. Before most homes had televisions, people listened
to the radio or read the newspaper; they played board games rather than
computer games; and instead of fast food we had fresh food from local fish markets
or butcher shops.
People did their washing by hand
instead of in a machine; laundered items hung to dry outdoors. Refrigerators were still a luxury item for many
people, so food had to be bought daily. It
was less common for married women to work outside the home.
Church was as much a social center as it was a sanctuary. Going there offered the opportunity to talk to
neighbors; to create and build friendships. It was somewhere to pray, worship and study
the Bible. It was a place where family
values were formed; amid times of joy and sadness.
My parents placed little value in acquiring material things.
Like most, they were hardworking people
whose priorities were family, God and country. They believed their handshake was a binding
contract. They took all the negatives in
their lives and lived above them or with them. They didn’t complain because, in
many ways, they didn’t know any better.
All of these puzzle pieces formed my future, in little,
almost imperceptible ways.
As a child it sometimes made me crazy. All that re-fixing, eating leftovers, reusing. I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there’d always
be more.
But then my mother died, all alone on that winter’s night,
in the warmth of her hospital room. I
was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn’t any more.
Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes
away never to return. So, while we have
it, its best we care for it, and fix it when it’s broken, and heal it when it’s
sick, and love it.
That’s true for marriage … and
old cars … and misbehaving children … and dogs losing their eyesight … and
aging parents … and lonely grandparents. We keep them because they’re worth it. Like a friend we grew up with or a colleague that
changed jobs or a cousin that remembers your birthday.
These are the “KEEPERS” in our lives. They’re like stars - you don’t always see
them, but you know they are always there. Keep them close!
Lord, thank You for the friends in my life;
those who love, encourage, and support me through all the twists and turns of
life. I'm so grateful that I don’t have
to do life alone; that you’ve shown me examples of Your love through my dear
friends. Amen
