Steve & Shirley
“Do not put your trust in princes; in mortals, in whom there is not help. When their breath departs, they return to the earth, on that very day their plans perish. Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God, who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever.” – Psalm 146:3-6
I have a best friend for most every occasion. One for gossip (not that I ever gossip) and a different one for wisdom (particularly church wisdom); one for drinking wine (Shirley wants me to let you know this person is her) and another for drinking coffee (this has been a group of coffee friends); one who lives far away, and one who lives at the other side of town. And one who sleeps in my bed!
It is very convenient having multiple best friends, because you know what? Humans are wonderful, and also unreliable. They have bad moods, they get busy and distracted, and none of this means they don’t love you.
Most importantly: no one human can fulfill every single need of another human—even the person who shares your bed can’t do that. So, God willing, we get multiple besties, for different life-stages, celebrations and problems.
People who work at churches, here is an especially important caveat for us to remember: every single person you know will probably let you down or disappoint you at some point. Our work is to keep a soft heart, and clear head, in our dealings with every frail and blessed human being, including ourselves.
The good news is this: God keeps faith forever. So when a moment arrives when it seems like everybody’s mad at you (deservedly or not), or has checked out on you (it happens!), God has always been, and remains, our BFF.
If you need help remembering this, recall that little old children’s song “Jesus Loves Me” to remind you that Jesus is ALWAYS there.
Dear God, for the moments when I feel I’m walking alone without a friend, help me start the conversation with the One who lives within me. Amen.
Grace and Peace
Steve
The Journey 
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