Let My Praises Be Heard!
I PRAISE GOD FOR MY FRIENDSHIP WITH SEVERAL DELIGHTFUL ONES DURING LIFE!
This autobiography (story of my life), even as a ‘sketch’, admittedly covers many pages in this present book. If this book were a ‘portrait’ (a detailed ‘coverage’ of my life), obviously this book would be uncomfortably large (far too large). This is to say, that, although I would enjoy offering a ‘biographical sketch’ of my many friends (like I did with my immediate family members); I am not able to undertake such a mammoth task. Where would I start and, more importantly, where would I finish- if I undertook to present a brief profile of all my extended family, as well as of all my many friends?
I certainly do not have sufficient words to adequately express my deep appreciation to the countless friends (far and near, close and distant) who have ‘touched my life’ with the impact of their love and kindness and understanding and generosity and compassion and wisdom, and so much more.
Each friend (young and older), whom I have enjoyed, has left his/her ‘mark’ of influence on my own life. Some have seen me at my ‘best'(healthy and vibrant and spiritual), and some have seen me at my worst (sick in mind and in body, depressed, unhappy, unproductive).
I talked just recently to a friend who, some 20 years ago, comforted me with his friendship and with his wise counsel, when I was walking for so long through the ‘tunnel of depression’. My dear friend lives now in a distant State, but occasionally I talk to him on the phone. Just recently (on the phone) I reminded him that he had been a dear friend to me, for about 25 years.
I implied to him (he caught the mood in my voice) that it must have been a lot of ‘labor’ on his part for him to be and to remain my friend through the ‘ups and downs’ of my life. I have thanked him (during several phone conversations) for ‘coming along beside me’ during the darkest days (years) of my life (during my 3 yearlong depression). He told me that when he was someone’s friend, he was that person’s friend forever!
He never boasts, he never flaunts, and he never focuses on my dark days! Instead, he expresses his love for me, and he allows me (occasionally) to ‘see behind the curtain’ of his own period of deep depression (he is a fine tuned artist- musician and florist)! Through the many years that I have known this godly gentleman (and during the occasional conversations with him on the phone), this unusually brilliant and kindhearted and compassionate-oriented man has been my ‘minister of encouragement’!
I have a great indebtedness to this special friend, an understanding Christian friend- Neil Brownwood! He has an empathetic, listening ‘ear’, and he also has wise and loving words of wisdom to share with me.
He is unusually talented (musician, carpenter, floral designer, rancher), but he never flaunts his many abilities and skills. He is a man of prayer, a man who loves the Bible, a man who enjoys ‘holiness writings’, a man who loves to ride his bike, and a man who (as a single person) lives with his parents and who cares for them in their elderly years! He has a special mission of compassion to a particular middle-aged man whose health has deteriorated!
I have, just now, offered a very brief ‘profile’ of one of my cherished friends- a friend who has been loyal to me, through all the changes and the chances of my own life. When I mentioned to my friend (recently on the phone) that we had known each other a long time. I think he perceived that I thought that this fact was amazing (considering all the ‘trouble’ I had caused him, as a result of my ‘dark night of the soul’ through which he agonized with me, in the distant past)! He simply said to me (in so many words): “When I am a friend to someone, I am a friend for life!”
Even though I have cherished the friendship of several persons during the last many years, I would be the first one to admit that my knowledge of these persons is rather limited and incomplete. I observed some of the outward movements of these precious friends, and I would be equipped to record a few facts regarding some of those easy-to-observe movements (actions and reactions), but my recording of those outward movements would certainly be limited and incomplete. And what about the inner life motives, motivations, and desires, of these friends? Of course, my knowledge of the inner life of these friends would be very incomplete.
When I undertook to write a brief profile of my immediate family members I realized that my brief profile of even these loved ones is quite ‘sketchy’ (incomplete). How much more ‘sketchy’ would be my profile of those persons whom I considered ‘friends’ (at various times throughout my long life).
It is true that my attempt to give a brief account of my many friends, would be a worthwhile attempt, but, the nature of this book would not permit me to invest my time and my effort in such an attempted ‘project’. Already, the present length of this book is longer than I had originally anticipated (when this project was conceived).
In another book, entitled ‘In Memory’, I briefly profiled the lives of 45 different persons, and, with the ‘biographical sketch’ of each of these persons, I printed the actual sermon that I gave at the funeral service for each of these persons. Of course, the nature (purpose) of that book is totally different than the nature (purpose) of this present book.
Table of contents: Let my praises be heard!
Christian Devotionals 