Thank You, God, for Friends

I am working on a project that necessitates reading old letters from my teen years. There’s tons of teenage silly stuff, but some good stuff, too.

I’d like to quote a letter here, sent from my best friend in junior high, about 7 months after my family and I moved to the opposite side of planet:

“An Epistle of Julie to the McD’s

 

Julie, a servant of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Sydney…Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day til now, being confident of this that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

 

It is right for me to feel this way about you, since I have you in my heart. God can testify how I long for you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

 

And this is my prayer, that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God.” (See Philippians 1:1-11)

 

And I thank my God every time I remember you, Julie. And Mandy. And Sarah. And Laura….to name a few. 

 

Thanks to each of you for your encouragement and love. And for a pile of incredible letters to re-read.