Having been relocated recently, I have come to a realization about relationships, especially long term friendships. You can’t replicate in a year or two, what took 20 or 30 years to build. It takes shared history to really know someone. You have to have been together in a multitude of situations.
I have also come to realize that there are people who are now in their twenties that Lisa and I have 20 plus years of history with! (Those of you who fit that category, we are truly grateful that God placed you in our path! We want to be of service to you in any way we can. We pray for you on a regular basis.)
When Lisa and I married we were friends with a small group of couples. Those people are still some of our closest friends. The realization that came to me is that we have almost as much history with their children as we have with the parents. We even know their children’s children. Wow!
We are purposed to sow into these groups of relationships as best we can for the rest of our lives and ministry. Lisa and I have been so blessed to serve, not only our generation, but multiple generations through Youth and Young Adult ministry. We want to continue to be a voice for these generations as best we can. We fully understand that many of you have also been moved to other churches. We applaud your faithfulness to the Lord.
So, to those of you who have come to these same realizations, I ask that you come on this journey with us to stay connected and to continue to share community and ministry to one another by every means possible. You are not alone! Even though many of the people around us may not fully know us, we can still draw from the relationships that we have known so well.
Distance cannot deter friendships unless we let it.
