“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. (Romans 1:8-12)”
As I go about my life, attempting to live each day to its fullest, some things, some people, get moved aside, put off for awhile. It is not that they are less important or less thought of, perhaps, just less demanding. Then that "awhile" turns in to "its been a long time" and distance separates our paths. But the love, the encouragement, the friendship does not die. These relationships I am talking about are not possessive nor demanding. They suppportively, patiently wait for the moments you have together. They know you and will always be there for you...NO MATTER WHAT! Friends may come and go, ministries come and go, but they remain...constant. These are not family members that have some genetic bond or commitment, no, they are the spiritual brother and sister placed there by God to lift you up, encourage you and fight for you when you can not fight for yourself. Soldiers come to know this bond on the battlefield. David knew it with Jonathan. I call them my "Silent Soldiers!" It has probably been the one thing I see good in today's technology, the ability to reach out and share my life with those who have been separated by time and space. I praise God for those hearts that do not grow cold with time but are ignited upon contact. It is strong in my spirit today to acknowledge you, dear friends. To let you know how deeply I appreciate you in my life. You know who you are, for you are the one that is for me. You are the one that has not and will not cease to be my friend under any circumstance. Let time separate us but it cannot erase the foundation we have. You are the building blocks Jesus has established in my life to bring me to this point. I want you to know your faith, your love, your friendship encourages me in ways you will never know. May the God of all creation reward your faithfulness today. I pray an abundance of joy and peace surround you and that our God will make a way for us to sit awhile together and encourage one another as we laugh, talk and share all that He has done.