Friends

I remember being told when I was in my early 20's that a man who managed to have more than one or two friends was a rich man. At that time I thought that kind of evaluation of finding and keeping friends was pretty pessimistic. I have since seen that for many people the presence of true friends is indeed a difficult accomplishment.

I have learned over the years that the developing of friendships has a lot to do with shared intentions. Once we have our life intentions truly formed it seems like those intentions are what attrract friends that stay. Intentions are a powerful force for creating enemies or friends. Enemies read your intentions as a threat while friends read your intentions as an inivitation to come closer.

This past week Pam and I were surrounded by people with intentions like ours. We were surrounded by people who intend each day to glorify God with their lives. The interesting thing was the range of age, social status, education and nationality that existed among those whose intentions drew them together.

As we followed this week's path of Glorifying God we became friends with Brian and Jayne Mentzer from the Riverdale Baptist Church in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Brian is the Senior Pastor of the church and Chancellor of the Christian School there in Maryland. This was Brian's fourth trip to Brazil to bless Brazilian pastors and their wives. Anyone who intends to love Brazilian pastors and their wives is one the page with our intentions!

Pam and I ended up hosting Brian and Jayne for a few days here in Sao Jose because Russ and Diane Dean, fellow missionaries and dear intentional friends, had to return to the States for medical treatment. So, out of nowhere we became friends with Brian and Jayne. We became friends because our intentions matched and God created the friendship.

We also renewed friendships with Gary and Janet Tomberlin. Pam and Janet both arrived in Brazil in the early 1950's.
I have know Gary since the mid 70's. We are intentional friends. We know and care for one another because we have mutual intentions in Jesus.

Thursday night Pam and I hosted a small group with 7 couples in a home here in our neigborhood. The host home is the Cardoso home. We have been friends with the Cardoso family for 25 yeears. Once again, our intentions drew us together.

This morning Pam and I attended a get together for the telephone ministry of our church. We met a whole new group of friends whose intentions match ours. We made some new friends today.

I think friendship is not as hard as we make it. If we would simply get our intentions on glorifying God we would soon find that friends are made by sharing intentions. If your intention is to get friends you might want to switch your intentions to glorifying God.
The results will surprise you. You will be surrounded by intentional friends and they will last a lifetime because the glory of God is the most powerful of all forces to bind people together.