God has blessed me with wonderful friends who fill many different roles in my life. Some are family, and I cherish our cousin dinners and get-togethers.
My best friend is my husband. We’ve celebrated 42 anniversaries, and he’s God’s amazing gift to me, the person I enjoy being with most of all.
My adult sons and their wives are now also friends as well as their children, and I love spending time with them.
I have friends who are shopping buddies or meet-for-lunch pals. I have friends who are prayer partners. We love knowing that we’re only a phone call, email or text message away whenever we need someone to pray for us.
I spent a few days at a mountain cabin recently with some author friends. These are friends God definitely chose for me. Many have been part of my writing world since I first began.
Read More: Destined to be Friends
We’ve journeyed together as we’ve received rejections and book contracts, celebrated awards, taught at conferences, and encouraged and prayed for each other.
Despite the fact that our husbands thought we’d be out shopping or playing while we were on our retreat, we worked, writing 12 hours one day and 14 hours the next.
Other than the clicking of keyboards or creaking floorboards as someone got up to get a snack, there was no sound as we worked on the projects that God had given us.
One described it as “sacred silence,” and that’s what it was as words that would touch hearts and change lives were put on the pages.
Writing is a unique world and only those who live it can fully understand. If someone asks a really odd question, we know that it’s because she is researching for a historical or suspense novel. Or if someone asks, “Could you brainstorm with me about this?” then everyone pitches in with suggestions and ideas. Critiques are done with love and kindness and a genuine desire to help each other.
I am so blessed to have my writing buddies and all of my friends. Each one is a gift from God. But I’m most grateful for my very best friend—Jesus. As it says in Proverbs 18:24, “But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
Isn’t it cool that God chose us to be one of His friends? I love that, don’t you?
