Friendship

Proverbs 27:9

Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul.

My sweet friend Marie and I on the last day we saw each other before beginning her new adventure.

My soul continues to be refreshed by friendship. I love meeting new people and being around people. I love having people over and enjoy getting to know them better. I recently posted about my friend Marie who just moved. I believe God gave us a friendship that refreshes our soul in this season of life.

 I love that a friendship can be maintained and nurtured in this day and age by a simple touch. at the touch of a button you can connect with a friend anywhere in the world. I have friends all over the world-literally and although that might seem daunting-I assure you it is very exciting. the privilege of visiting my friends has not yet occurred but we do "see" each other via skype etc.

We keep up with each other by looking at the picture postings on facebook or now instagr.am!

The projects we are working on are updated on Pinterest almost daily. 

But...there is always a but isn't there. We  long for human interaction. We love to sit across from each other and chat over tea. We love coffee and conversation. Although girls night outs in this season of our lives are few and far between, we revel in them when we get them!

On a sweet Tuesday night when the only things that normally happen are work and school. I had a beautiful meeting with 5 beautiful ladies. They inspired me to reminisce on how friendship has refreshed my soul all my life. 

You see I attended a health session given by a local doctor only for my own education I thought. Not knowing anyone I ventured into a tightly packed room and noticed a table of ladies and I sauntered over to join in their conversation. 

They welcomed me and Micki said, " Yes, sit down by the end of the night you will have our emails and we will invite you to lunch." and this ladies and gentlemen is exactly what happened. We had lovely conversations: from politics, to books, to the Holocaust, to solving social issues and back to movies and shows. I looked around the table at Gayle and Donna who's friendship formed from their children's marriage. Dee and Cea neighbors who met from a flyer posted at Lofino's because Cea sold baskets-Micki was at this basket gathering and as they say the rest is history. Some of these ladies have known each other almost 40 years and it is the bond of friendship that continuously refreshes  their soul creating a tight knit group. 

Proverbs 17:17

New International Version (NIV)

 ¹⁷ A friend loves at all times,

Gayle and Donna

Micki, Cea and Dee

So, I thought of my friends all over the world creating such bonds with the friendships they nurture and their souls are refreshed. I remembered  that in this same week My friend Marie would move away to a new adventure. 


As I pondered on this change, I thought, " It's ok these very sweet ladies live in Dayton. I will be ok." 


Proverbs 25:13
Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat—refreshing!




So, new friends don't replace old friends. Instead they refresh our souls by filling our longing for face to face interactions. They help us remember our friends that are far,thus encouraging us to reach out and nurture the friendships afar with a simple touch.


Proverbs 25:25
Like a cool drink of water when you're worn out and weary is a letter from a long-lost friend.

So, at the end of this bittersweet week an email was delivered  to my inbox, from a lovely blog about how to be a better friend.   A Holy Experience is the name of Anne Voskamp's blog. As I read her post about 4 ways to be a better friend, tears gathered and in my heart arms extended and closed. In them the beautiful friends of long years and short. And with a simple touch I connected and praised for the simplicity of it all

Gracefully Daisy