I always wonder about the people who remain "best friends forever," the ones who made promises to their friends in high school that they would always be there for each other, get together even after marriage and kids and basically be more faithful to their friendship than to anything else. But life is so full of change and growth and discovery that it would be very hard for anyone to truly remain best friends for decades unless either they both have the same calling on their life, or they choose to keep their lives as stagnant as possible. Am I wrong in thinking this?
Life is so full of choices, and for those of us who believe in God, the one constant choice before us is always: go with what's comfortable, or use your faith in a radical way? Compromise or sacrifice? You can begin with a group of friends, solid, caring friends who all believe in God just as you do. In time each one makes small choices, slightly different from the others and before long you are heading in different directions. What one has faith to do, the others don't and vice versa. Each one has to be sure of her own choices and not allow the others to hold her back, that's the way it should be.
Mrs. Ross had a girls prayer group meeting in her home every Wednesday after school. Her house was right next to our football field and we all looked forward to prayer-meeting day to sing and pray and talk about God with her. She was an amazing and caring woman with a real heart to reach out to us young, 12 and 13 year old wiggly, giggly, slightly goofy girls. My first experience with God, the first prayer I made of true surrender to Jesus as my Lord came about because of that group, and I know the path of my future was already marked because of Mrs. Ross' influence.
But as precious as that time was, each of us has grown and changed and taken different directions, though I'm certain, each of us loves God still. Even the friends I have right now may not be on the same path as me in the years ahead, but what matters is, am I making the right choices for God right now? Am I doing His bidding or concerned about the crowd? Letting friends go can be sad, but nothing is worth letting go of God's leading.
