More Precious Than Gold

The Scriptures say "a man of many friends comes to ruin." I didn't understand those words for many years. I thought a pile of friends was just peachy. Then I realized that, in truth, no matter how social or extroverted you are, you only can have a handful of good friends. There's just not enough time or juice to keep up with a gozillion friends. And a faithful friend is rare indeed. I have seen where bad friends take people down treacherous paths. I had one such comrade in my freshman year of college. She was more fun than a barrel of monkeys. Before long, she had me skipping class, staying up half the night and missing church. I had grown up with a simple and parentally-ordered life, so the advent of eating a whole package of Oreos or swilling all the Coca-Cola I wanted was wild partying, in my mind. I was the willing participant to these follies, much to my parents' chagrin. When I came home that first semester with a D in New Testament Studies and skinny as a rail, they didn't quite know what to do with me. I wasn't drinking or laying out with bad boys, but I was definitely out of control. When things began to teeter to the dark side, I had to take a hatchet job to our friendship. And it pretty much took an implement that violent to rend me away from her. There's a reason the Good Book says, "Bad friends corrupt good morals." My friend went right on down her path and ended up getting kicked out of school, on drugs, with a baby and no Baby Daddy to help her. But for the grace of God I could've tromped right into the mess with her.

I was reminded today of the value of a good compatriot when I had breakfast with one of my oldies but goodies. We go way on back to fourth grade. I have a few, very wonderful bosom buddies. They're all better than me. I probably pull them down. Honorable, conscientious, good, fun people. Salt of the earth. I've collected them over many years. They come from my many seasons of life: Mama, one from birth (my sister), grade school, college, our early years of marriage, church, family, another that I birthed (my daughter), and others that my sons married. They are the kindred spirits that link like DNA to your soul. Time and space don't matter. A year can go by and we link back up like sisters. 

This morning's talk with my dear old friend was pure gold. Memories, children, grandchildren, Mamas, work were all spun into a sweet amalgam of time, too short. True treasures are those moments and days where we get to exchange our lives. I don't want to ever take that for granted.