You can’t replace a great friend. This is true of my friend Diane, who battled cancer for 3 and half years and recently lost the fight. Besides being such an amazing friend, she was also a loving wife, a proud mom to 3 boys, a caring teacher, motivating coach, and all-around special person. How can you replace the smiles, the laughter, the easy-going ways of someone so incredible? How do you replace the caring, the helpfulness, the vibrancy of such a person? The truth is, you can’t. But Diane holds a special place in my heart, right where all the beautiful memories are stored. “A friend loves at all times…” (Proverbs 17:17, NIV) And that, quite simply, is irreplaceable.
God is an amazing friend too. He truly and deeply loves us. “Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.” (Psalm 36:5, NIV) He is there when we need him. He stands by just waiting to help. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. ” (Psalm 46:1, NIV) He wants us to be filled with joy. “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11, NIV) The Lord watches over and protects us. “He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.” (Psalm 91:4, NLT) God wants to hold a special place in our hearts. In that way, his love is eternal. “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3, NIV) Having God as our friend, quite simply, is irreplaceable.
Things to do today:
Read a similar blog called ‘A Good Friend’ and listen to songs ‘Dancing with the Angels’ and ‘Go Rest High on that Mountain.’
In loving memory of my friend, Diane Majoy
My daisies suddenly burst open. Truthfully, the buds had been taking shape for days. Most of the year the daisies are just nice green plants, but for a month every year, they are stunning. The day I planted the small flowers I hoped for the best. Placing them gently in the ground, I gave them food and water. On a consistent schedule, I fed them, (not bacon an eggs, but you know, plant food). Although there were time I wondered if they’d make it, today they’re very strong. Through the years the flowers have multiplied. And then suddenly, they are glorious to behold.
The flowers I planted today were nice, but they hold no comparison to their future glory. Right now they’re a bit sparse, a little droopy, and a bit on the small side. Don’t get me wrong, the yellow flowers (coreopsis, yarrow, and petunias) on my front porch have already added a ‘touch of color.’ The red geraniums are taking a stand under the pergola of the back porch. However, I am expecting more color as summer approaches. My flowers need the basics: sun, water, and perhaps a sprinkling of Miracle-Gro. But their greatest need: just a little more time.
Burnt rolls, undercooked roast beef, and runny casserole. What do they have in common? They happened in my kitchen, when I was cooking. Although up for debate, my biggest blunder happened when I was a preteen. My family was going to be surprised with my chocolate chip cookies. I was pretty impressed with myself as I took the cookies out of the oven. Proudly I carried them into the living room to share with my brothers and they enthusiastically grabbed them. However, their groans, cries of distress, and strong words, (I am deliberately leaving those words out), caused me great confusion. Apparently, substituting salt for sugar in a recipe is a bad idea. Who would have thought a cup of salt could make such a fuss? I guess I should have been paying better attention to the details.
Some time ago I flew to Texas to support a family I loved during a heart-wrenching time of trial. Struggling in the last days of his life was a husband, a father, and a friend. His loved ones faced the crisis in different ways: flat-out denial, avoidance, or quiet acceptance with inner turmoil. I tried to balance my time meeting the needs of everyone involved, including my friend who was in his final days. It wasn’t easy, but the prayers of many friends kept me upright. Flying home after that experience, I was weary and exhausted. I told God I had nothing left to give, and I was ready for the peace and rest of Heaven. Immediately I looked out the window and filling the sky was a massive, gorgeous rainbow. Moved to tears, deep inside me I felt these words, “It’s not your time. You have so many promises in front of you.”
Making the world is harder than you think. My nephew Zach had to make ten different landforms for a Social Studies project. We worked together and used Play-Doh, paint, Elmer’s glue, toothpicks, and numerous other craft items. Making the mountains was fun, creating an island with a palm tree in the middle of the lake was neat, but shaping tiny cactus for the desert was rather tricky. Zach got to name each place and he chose a football theme. We had Running Back River, Quarterback Lake, and even Touchdown Island. Our miniature ‘snapshot’ of the world took a long time to put together, but we sure enjoyed creating it.
For a little while today I had my own personal superhero. (I can actually feel you getting jealous and all I can say is, “na-na na-na boo boo.“) Picture this: a 3′ tall superhero dressed in a padded Spiderman suit (surprisingly accessorized with a bright, red Superman cape). My 3 year-old nephew Benjamin played the role well, appearing from the corner of the room whenever a cry for help was sounded. He went immediately to the imaginary ‘bad guys’ and pushed them away. With each rescue, I heard, “And don’t come back bad guys!” After taking care of the situation, he strutted to the corner with his muscles bulging and waited patiently for the next cry of distress.
When my large family celebrates Christmas together, we generate alot of trash. After the gifts are opened, the living room looks like a hurricane came through. There are boxes, paper, cardboard, and tissue paper strewn all over the floor, chairs, and sometimes on people (mostly from my brothers throwing paper ‘bombs’ at me). Don’t get me started on the kitchen, as food is consumed at a rapid rate and the trash can gets filled and the bag replaced repeatedly throughout the day. When the parties are over and the last eggroll is eaten, we sort the things we recycle from the things we call trash. Either way, it all gets hauled out.
Where does hope come from? As I was pondering that question, I came across the lyrics to a Christmas song by a group called the Sidewalk Prophets. Their song ‘Hope Was Born This Night’ explains it better than I can. Here’s a portion of the lyrics. See what you think:
When God sent His angel to tell the world where Jesus would be born, you’d think he would have gone to the Bethlehem mayor’s office. The news stations would have loved that scoop, or even the Bethlehem News Messenger would want a chance at the story. I wonder why He didn’t just post it on Facebook? There were so many ways God could have announced His Son’s birth, but He chose to share it with the lowly shepherds. Luke 2:8-12, “And in the same area there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.