Many Friends or Best Friend?
When I was a child, I was very shy. Oh, I had friends but never a best friend-someone who wanted to exclusively
hang around with me. That seemed to be my lot in life; even now I have lots of friends but not a best friend. Some
of my friends I am closer to than others, but not just one friend I am buddy-buddy with. As a kid, that really
bothered me, but I began to realize that wasn’t a crucial issue. Especially after May 19, 1963-that’s the day I asked
Jesus into my heart. That’s the day I realized that I DID have a Best Friend: someone who loved me more than
anything or anyone else in my life, someone who loved me enough to die for me on Calvary, someone who
continues to walk with me through thick and thin, who blesses me with talents, gifts and many friends even today.
Of all the things I collect, I am truly grateful for my collection of friends. And I am thankful that I have Jesus as my
Best Friend.
Do you have a best friend? Better yet, do you have THE Best Friend? If not, He is only a prayer away; just ask Him in.
This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. “Greater love has no man than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
A man of too many friends comes to ruins, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24
Read MoreDarlene’s Granary
If you know me, you know I collect things. Books, music, dollhouse miniatures, gourds, family tree information, and writing articles – just to name a few. When I was teaching, it gave me a chance to “decorate” my room at school, without cluttering my home any more than I already had.
In 2010, I retired. Now I had a bigger problem. Where could I put all my props, music, games and other “important” stuff from my classroom? I had a couple of garage sales, but it barely made a dent in the collection. Some things I couldn’t part with, though; who knows when I might use that Santa hat or “Tooty Ta” CD or that animated reindeer head again?
My husband came up with a solution. We live on a farm and a few years ago, my guys switched to a more modern grain system. That left a little building (20’ x 24’) where the grain had previously been stored. He suggested that I use that building for the overflow, and for a workshop/office/study. He evicted the resident mice (to the cat’s chagrin) and remodeled the granary for me. He did a wonderful job and I love my granary.
I like to think of my granary as still being used for a collection place, but this time, instead of grain, it holds the seeds of the things that mean a lot to me. A place where I can write, or paint my gourds , or even play the old upright piano I bought at an estate sale. I even have my treadmill for an exercise break. A place where I can gather my thoughts and commune with God and ask His help for my writing or anything He wants me to do.
I don’t want my granary to turn into a hoarding station; I want it to be a J-O-Y storehouse. Whatever I do, I want to please Jesus, and I want to make (write, paint, play piano…whatever) others happy, to encourage them with the lessons I’ve gleaned from my life, to give them a smile or chuckle, to help them to grow in Christ. Everything I own, everything I have collected, every gift and talent I possess really belongs to Him and as 1 Peter 4:10 tells us, we are to use these gifts to honor Christ and to serve others.
Come back often-we’ll share. We’ll have a good time sharing the Lord’s blessings. After all, what good is all that stuff we have collected if we don’t share?
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