Make new friends, but keep the old....

This morning I was laying in bed doing the best waking up I could which usually includes grabbing my iPhone and starting to scroll through the nightly Facebook business. It's not that there is much on there that is pressing and imperative that I read but it gets to me wake up enough in the first 10 minutes or so to get out of the bed and start my day. This morning was like the others, I did just that. I decided this morning to go through some old pictures I have in albums. These specific ones were from my teenage years when I started attending church. Those are some of my favorite times in life because I was new in my faith and loving Jesus was all I had on my mind. Ok, maybe loving another was on my mind too but we WILL NOT be blogging about that this morning.

As I scrolled through old pictures and enjoyed them, I came across a picture of my BEST buddy that made me literally LAUGH OUT LOUD. He always does though! In thinking this, I realized that for me I did not have to put all that away when I turned 18 and moved away. We all went our separate ways and yes we did have a hiatus but that boy is still one of my best friends. That boy married a girl that I love so much. God gave him the exact female that I could love like I love him and not detest like I did some people he dated (Hmmm...wonder which ones?!) That boy had three amazing kids who I adore and pray for daily and always want to know all about their antics. That boy has parents that I still run into and love on me like I'm their own. That boy and his lovely girl are the God-parents for my son. That boy is still one of my favorite people.

I wish I could say that our relationship has matured in all avenues but let's be serious...if you know us..you know I'm lying if I say that. We still laugh at some form of the same things we always did. In saying that, however, it has matured in ways I never dreamed. He is one of my closest confidants who I disclose weaknesses to that only my husband knows. He is the person I go to with my most spiritual of questions, hoping for something that makes sense to me! It always does from him. He introduced me to Jesus almost exactly 18 years before I had my son Maxwell. That day set so much in motion for me. I chose a man to marry who I could laugh with like I do that boy....except that I don't find repulsive! HA!

Today, I was thinking how lucky I am to have that boy and so many other great friends in my life. I am enriched because of people I've been friends with for varying amounts of time. There is that boy going 19 years strong....and many others who I met in college at almost 15 years of friendship now. It's amazing how richly God has blessed me with friendship. Not everyone has these people and certainly not everyone has someone like THAT BOY!

Hey THAT BOY. I did not mention your name because you are easily embarrassed.  Well at least about praise and compliments you are! Thank you THAT BOY. You have enriched my life and keep doing so all these years later. For the love of all things holy though, never go back to dressing that way!

This little song came to my head this morning from girl-scouts (Yes, THAT BOY...I was a girl scout...SHUT UP)

Make New Friends
But Keep the Old
One is silver
The other's gold

You are gold friend!!!

-E-

(picture I have added to this post may or may reflect who THAT BOY really is)