Thursday, March 5, 2015

Faithful Friends

March 5, 2015

Today is Ian's birthday, a date I will always remember, even though I'm terrible with numbers. I can remember my birthday, my mother's, my sister's and brother's, my wife's, our three kids, and Abigail, because she was born on Christmas Day, Eliza, because she was born on St. Patrick's Day. And Ian, even though he was not born on any holiday. The night he was born eleven years ago, Linda and I were in Rochester with his mother and father, Todd's folks, and the rest of our family, who gather like birds to the feeder whenever there is a special event going on. We were having a real party, there in the delivery room, at least until the hour came. These days, young couples often invite everyone they know to the delivery, even taking videos of it, something I really don't need to see. I'm thankful Jess and Todd aren't numbered among those who seem to think every waking moment of their lives ought to be on display for the world to see. No thank you, please!

While we were celebrating, our good friends Harry and Beth were on the front lines, taking a heavy beating from our dinner group. We had been meeting monthly with five couples for years, having dinner, talking, laughing, and praying together. Things had gotten pretty tenuous the month before when the wife of one of the couples blew up at me over issues that are unimportant for tonight's musings. She had taken her discontent to various individuals in the congregation, touching a spark to issues and emotions that are always simmering beneath the surface whenever people are gathered into a group such as a church.

Harry decided that he wasn't about to pussy-foot around the issues nobody wanted to discuss. He laid it out on the table, relating how things were being said, and we weren't going to just sweep it under the rug. Apparently, things had been swirling around within the group, with the exception of Harry and Beth, whom others rightly divined would stand by us. Before the night was over, Harry and Beth stood alone.

You never forget friends who stand in the line of fire for you. Harry and Beth are that kind of friends, and the night we were celebrating Ian's birth, they were taking the brunt of what would explode into a firestorm that nearly destroyed the church. Tonight, I am thankful for Ian, who brought us such joy eleven years ago, and continues to do so with his inquisitiveness and love for Jesus. And I am thankful for our friends Harry and Beth, who stood in the gap for us that very same night. We had them over for dinner tonight. They weren't our first choice. We had planned on having a young couple over. Jen was going to do our taxes tonight, but wasn't feeling well. So we called some friends we had been wanting to have over. They couldn't come. You  know you have good friends when you tell them they were a few rungs down the ladder, but they come anyway, and you have a wonderful evening filled with laughter and deep conversation. Thank you, Lord, for giving us a wonderful grandson and such faithful friends.

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