Friends Forever

Recently one of my "Forever Friends," Margaret W, called my attention to a devotional thought by Joni Eareckson Tada. It's from her Diamonds in the Dust for March 9. She begins with this verse:

From one man He made every nation of men, that they should
inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them
and the exact places they should live. Acts 17:26

Then she says: "Did you catch that? It's no mistake you are living in this century, this decade, and this very year. It's no accident that you are residing in your town, living on the street you live, and with the neighbors you see every day. And is your circle of friends just coincidence? No way. God has determined it.

"Just think. You could have easily been born in another time, another place....
You would be growing up with a whole new set of childhood friends and neighbors.

"Of the billions of possibilities, of all the millions of people with whom you could have been best friends, God determined the exact time and place where you should live. When you consider this amazing fact, your friendships take on a new and profound significance. God has a special reason, a unique design in each friendship. He chose to surround your life with these certain and treasured dear ones for good reasons.

"As Christians, these are the people with whom you will live for eternity, enjoying an even greater dimension of friendship. Because God has placed you together on earth at this time and in this place, you and your friends have a chance to get a head start on God's eternal plan.

Father, I stand in awe at Your wisdom and ways. You could have
placed me anywhere on earth, but You determined that I should live
here and now. Teach me what this means. Show me Your special
design for my friends and family. And thank You that each person
You put in my life is precious in Your sight." Amen.

She's right -- all my friendships take on a more profound significance when I remember that God places all of us right here, right now, to fulfill some undisclosed part of His grand design for all of His creation.

God is good...and His love endures forever!