Everyone should have an inner circle of friends.  We need people we can be real with: straight up honesty-hold nothing back-no judgment-and total freedom.  It’s the trust, support, and love that make these friends so valuable.   With life’s schedules it’s challenging to find the time, but the effort spent with a good friend is always worth it.  I visited one such friend last night and all we did was sit around a campfire sharing life, giving support, and laughing with abandon.  There’s something special about not having to dress up and ‘put on airs,’ to be able to wear those worn jeans and that comfortable t-shirt, and to have no expectations but a simple visit.  That kind of friend is valuable.

You might be surprised to know this is exactly the kind of friend God wants to be.  He’s a ‘come as you are’  kind of friend.  You don’t have to come in your Sunday finest; you can come in your jeans, in your tennis shoes, even in your old cut-offs (my country-girl roots are showing).  His schedule is always open, so you can talk to Him anytime day or night.  “By day the Lord directs His love, at night His song is with me-a prayer to the God of my life.” (Psalm 42:8)  You don’t have to be careful what you say or use words like ‘Thou’ or ‘Thee.’ God loves you exactly as you are.  He just wants to share life with you, to be close to you, and to shower you with His love.  Psalm 33:10, “…but the  Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him.”  So go ahead, have that heart to heart.  You can even pick the schedule because God says: anytime, anywhere, you and Me together: priceless.