The Blessing of Friends

I hope this personal story encourages you to reflect on the selfless love of Christ and the work of his Spirit within us. As you read my devotion, I’m just three days short of my ninety-fourth birthday, so you’ll realize I wrote my devotion two years earlier. 

One thing, however, has not changed: I am still deeply grateful for my local friends who take me where I need to go and care for me so faithfully. Just yesterday Wally brought me enough delicious home-cooked food to fill my refrigerator. He certainly doesn’t have to do that, but he is a wonderful cook and his kindness keeps me well supplied. I also have several other Christian friends who help me get home from church, where we then enjoy an after-church lunch together. Another friend brings me home from the senior center. I am thoroughly blessed by these Christian friends who surround me with their love, kindness, and faithful help.

Since I wrote this devotion, my eyesight has declined further, so I’ve been finding new ways to do things without having to read them on paper. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much help is available, including the audio version of The Upper Room. The Library of Congress and local libraries throughout the country offer literally thousands of audio books, so I can download them and listen anytime. I’m writing this update with a dictation app, which works very well. It even corrects my rough drafts at times when I don’t want it to, but overall it has been a tremendous help. Sometimes I think I’m getting old, but the other day I celebrated my friend’s ninety-sixth birthday! That put things in perspective. I guess I’m still doing pretty well after all.