A friend loves at all times…

~Proverbs 17:17a NASB

“Do you mind if we pray?” She asked.

I did not know Barbara before that day, but I had been given her phone number and was told she was looking for a carpool partner. We decided to meet for lunch. That way we could meet, and decide if we wanted to try carpooling together. As we sat down to eat, Barbara asked if we could pray first. She told me she and her family were Christians, and they were accustomed to praying before meals.

I had asked God for a Christian to carpool with who would be a positive influence in my life and become a friend. Barbara’s question was confirmation that God had answered my prayer. I needed someone to share and to laugh with. In Job, the prophet writes,

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.

~Job 8:21 NIV

And laugh we did! We shared our stories and refreshed our souls.

Our friendship began even before that first lunch was over. Barbara and I became close friends. She loved everyone and had a wonderful—and sometimes mischievous—smile. She was filled with the love of the Lord, and accepted me just as I was, and loved me anyway. And that could not have been easy to do at that time. I was going through a divorce after a very unstable marriage, and my self-esteem was at an all-time-low. However, God not only sent me a Christian car-pooler; He sent a forever friend! There was healing in her prayers for me.

God sent Barbara and many other people into my life because He knew I needed friends like them. And maybe He knew they needed a friend like me.

~Evelyn Mason Wells

As the years went by our friendship grew. We were no longer carpooling together, and we did not get to see each other as often as we once had. Whenever we did get together, it seemed we picked the conversation right up where we had left off, even if it was a chance meeting or just a phone conversation. The years of Barbara’s friendship were a blessing, and I miss her. I look forward to seeing her in eternity.

God sent Barbara and many other people into my life because He knew I needed friends like them. And maybe He knew they needed a friend like me. I pray I have been, and continue to be, a blessing to many. I am thankful for these friends that God has given me at just the right time in my life.

From now on I call you not servants; for the servant knows not what his lord does: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known to you.

~John 15:15 AKJV

God gave us the best Friend I could ever imagine when He sent Jesus Christ, His only Son, to live as a man. Jesus lived a perfect life here on Earth so He could die to pay the penalty for our sins. He knew we could never live a sinless life. He knew there was no way we could ever be good enough to live throughout eternity with Him. So, He did it for us. His perfect, sinless life qualified Him to be able to go to the cross and die a criminal’s death on our behalf, taking our sins upon Himself.

God gave us the best Friend I could ever imagine when He sent Jesus Christ, His only Son, to live as a man. @venable_wells #VineWords #Friendship Click To Tweet

Jesus Christ is not only the Savior of those who have accepted God’s free gift of salvation, He is the Lord of our lives. And, on top of that, He calls us His Friends! It cannot get any better than that!

Think of ways to be a friend to those who need to be loved.

Father God, I’m grateful for the love You exhibited by allowing Your only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sins so I can live eternally in Your Kingdom. Thank You! In Jesus’s Name, Amen.

Copyright 2020: God’s Gift of Friendship: Author Evelyn Wells: All Rights Reserved

Meet Our Contributor 

EVELYN MASON WELLS

She is a Bible Study Writer, and Devotion Writer for VineWords: Devotions and More, and a contributing author to Love Knots: Stories of Faith, Family, and Friendships (VineWords Publishing).

Passionate about glorifying God through her writing and speaking, Evelyn enjoys spending time on short-term mission trips, both domestic and foreign. She was recently blessed with an opportunity to speak/minister in Uganda.

Evelyn loves attending Bible Studies, spiritual retreats, and having good conversation with friends over lunch or a glass of tea. She is also an avid fan of the Georgia Bulldogs and Atlanta Braves. Evelyn enjoys good books, her cats, traveling, and especially spending time with her family. 

CONNECT WITH EVELYN WELLS AT:

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BOOK LINKS:     

Evelyn Wells Books