Friends part two

Eternal perspective initiates surprising friendships

I’ve been surprised by the friendships the Lord has placed in my life—more often because they are not the friends I initially thought would become lifelong companions. Like Samuel, I’ve been dismayed by friends who come wrapped in unusual packages. “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’ (1 Samuel 16:7b)

Heidi, one of my dearest friends, was not someone I initially had affinity with. From all outward appearances, we seemed like Laurel and Hardy. She enjoyed fixing cars; I enjoyed fixing gourmet meals. She was content in her singleness; although I masked mine with “God wants me to be a missionary,” I was not content and wanted to be married. In the initial stages of our friendship, we played a gentle tug-of-war with our personalities. At one point, we separated. We were heading down different paths and it seemed like our friendship was over.

But God had other plans. From His vantage point in heaven, He knew we needed each other. After nearly ten years of sporadic communication, Heidi called and wanted to visit our family in Texas for a week. Her visit was a gift. She, still single, played with my children as if they were her own. She encouraged me in my desire to be a good mother. We connected deeply that summer week as we talked about her new friend Mike. When she went home, Mike became her fiancé. That Christmas, I stood next to her as her only attendant when she said her vows.

I thank God He looked at our hearts and put us together. I am glad the God who weaves our tapestries from birth to death strings some surprising friends through our weaving. Corie Ten Boom said, “Every experience God gives us, every person he puts in our lives, is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see.” Today, Heidi is one of my closest friends. She is someone who will drop everything and pray for me. God knew I needed her in my life, despite our outward differences.