old friends new

It's been a good past few days. My life has been busy with building relationships, helping to plan the next sermon series, and trying to figure out where I can help Horizon. God has definitely been faithful to me and is always a constant presence. Thank you to those of you who have been praying for me.

I got a call today from an old friend from college. Bekah Ives was my swing dance partner, fellow RA, and friend at Messiah. She was a year ahead of me but we were still good friends.

We had a sort of falling out her senior year/ my junior year. She was a bit angry with me for many reasons. It finally came out into the open that for the previous three year she had had feelings for me. Those feelings of affection toward me were basically met with my rudeness and harsh words. This led her to transition from deeply caring for me to being deeply hurt. That hurt turned into frustration and frustration into anger. Needless to say, although we hung out quite a bit my first two years of college, I rarely saw her my junior year.

But time and grace have a way of healing things. We slowly became friends again as she visited a few times my senior year. We also met up for a wedding one time and had some good quality time together. All the awkward feelings had long since been forgotten and the lasting friendship remained.

I am back on the east coast now, my home. I had been away for three years while doing seminary in Texas. I didn't know it until she called, but Bekah has been taking weekend trips up here to Baltimore from her home town of Virginia Beach, VA. She is really into ballroom dancing now. I guess her love for that began with our swing dancing experiences back in college.

So she comes up to Maryland about twice a month or so to do lessons and competitions. She is here so much that she might just move up here. How crazy would that be? Bekah Ives, if she did move, might even be a part of Horizon. Fun thoughts. She is a great girl and one of the smartest I have ever met.

Its funny how in Christ old friends never quite leave your life. God always seems to set up little talks on the phone or little reunion meetings now and again. I think God finds joy in the reunion of old friends. I can just imagine Him smiling as he gently orchestrates these wonderful reminders of the past. Its as if He is reminding us that God has never forgotten the friendships that He has given us and that these mini-reunions are merely a foretaste of the coming Kingdom. These fond flashbacks are but a hint of the amazing wedding feast of the bride of Christ.