Old friends are new again...

Facebook has helped me to restore old friendships.  I have found friends from high school, a few from college and seminary - friends from previous churches and military bases.  But perhaps the revived friendships that have most delighted me are with a group of people whom I have known for twenty-one years, and who still call me friend.

I find this especially joyful because I met these friends when they were young... 7th, 8th and 9th grade young... they were the teen members of Bethany United Methodist Church in Summerville, SC.  There I was, in my early thirties, taking my first ministerial appointment out of seminary, moving to a town where I knew almost no one.  I'm not sure what they expected, but I'm pretty sure that their parents expected me to be a leader among them, a good influence on them, and to know what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.  

Little did they know how scared I was.  Studying about how to do ministry is one thing... actually doing it is another.  I am thankful to my field education churches in Wadesboro, NC and Lancaster, SC for giving me a taste of what youth ministry was all about.  But I am especially grateful to the good people at Bethany UMC for receiving my ministry and helping me to grow into a church leader who would go on to work with college students, youth, and military families.  

About three years ago, I became a member of the Facebook generation.  I really did it as a way to stay in touch with the people in my bible studies and squadrons - a "get out the message quickly" tool and way to know what was going on in people's lives.  One night I got a friend invitation from a former colleague from Bethany.  I was excited to see what was going on in his life, and happy to know that he was happy and healthy and living a good life.

And then the invitations started rolling in... and there they were... my little middle school friends - Kaiti, Melissa, Johannah, Ross, Tony, Lee, Brad, Shannon, Ken, Sarah, Carley & Kim... and through them, their moms and other Bethany friends.  And believe it or not, they are now the age I was when I first met them.  Isn't it funny how 30-something isn't so old anymore.

Some of them are married, some have children - some have stayed close to home, others have ventured far and wide.  Some have found their life's work in the church - others work in education, broadcasting, restaurants, architecture and business - some are stay-at-home parents.  Two are military spouses - let the record reflect that I warned at least one of them that this life is not for the faint of heart.  

And still I marvel at them... that over twenty years later the lessons I tried to teach were absorbed, applied and are now being passed on to their families, their friends and their churches.  I love that they post on my wall even if it's not my birthday, that they chat with me when they see me online sometimes, and that they still sometimes ask me hard questions about faith and life and Jesus.

But more often they give me answers.  The answers come in the ways I see them live their lives, teach their children and work out their problems.  The answers come in the ways they have grown and the ways they make the world a better place.  And while I don't know everything about them, I am honored to be their friend.  Blessings to them and to all who have helped to make me who I am today.  God is good, indeed.

I was trying to think of a passage from scripture which describes friendship... I think this one from Romans 12 captures what I'm trying to say...

[Paul writes:] Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.  Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.”  Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good. (Romans 12:14-21 The Message)

Peace, Deb