In contemplating the topic of friends today, I realize what a completely overwhelming subject it is! God has literally blessed me over and over with loving, wonderful friends. So how do I write about them without missing most of them? It will take eternity to get to know the all, even a little bit! This special bonding of a friend means entering into a place of safety, of complete trust where we can share anything.

The link that get us into that “circle of love” is agape, or divine love. We are given that, literally “poured into our hearts” by the Holy Spirit in Romans 5. It is an action taken by God and it immediately connects us together . “We love, because He first loved us”. This gives us a dimension and a capacity for love quite missing from even the best relationships. It must be cultivated in order to grow and produce the fruits of the Spirit but the branch is there.

I give you all this as background to tell you about one special friend who God brought into my life at just the right time in 1980. I was drifting spiritually, had just made a transfer to marketing, was traveling a lot. I met with Steve for dinner in California. He told me he was going to decide that night whether to accept Jesus or not! That next morning he came to Christ and for the next 3 years we met each morning for a Bible Study and a deepening of our friendship! We prayed through trials, persecution,discouragement. We were joined at the hip! Lot’s of stories!

But now, over 35 years later to still have that unique friendship, love, support, back to back, shoulder to shoulder…who gets to have that? United by the Holy Spirit, love willing to lay down our lives. What a gift to Steve and I, a special friendship that will go on and grow and grow.

The two greatest gifts Jesus can give His children are His Father’s glory and His Holiness. I believe both are wrapped up in the bundle of love we call His Friendship…true intimacy…oneness.,wow! I don’t think it get’s any better than that. And to my dear friend, Steve Rudd, I love you and am looking forward to more “adventures” in the future!

Your friend,

Terry