Inviting Friends

Good evening friends! It's the end of another good day. It's the weekend of my niece Marissa's college graduation, so some of the family were at Bethel University for that event and then had lunch at the house that Marissa has been leasing with 7 friends. She'll be moving soon to northeast Minneapolis, also with friends. I really appreciated the messages given at the graduation ceremony, one by a student and another by an alumna, both of whom passed through painful circumstances to become strong, positive, women.

My niece is in a stage of life when friends are at center stage. Not to say that friends aren't important always, but in the years before marriage there seems to be more time and energy for building relationships with non-family members. Marriage is a great thing, but it does tend to shrink the field of friendship, and then when children come into the picture the world gets focused and small. And when families move from one town or city to another, as most do these days, friends, sadly, get left behind. We try to keep up sometimes but the importance and intensity of those young adult friendships probably won't be maintained.

EVEN SO, I believe friends are worth keeping even when it's not easy, or possible, to keep them fresh all the time. One thing I enjoyed in the past, when I was serving a local church, was having "visits" from friends that I had known from other times of my life. Fortunately, I'm still in a public job, so it's still possible for friends to visit me at work. and because I believe this job is a part of my current call from God, I'd love to share it with those who have seen me in my other roles. AND, if your job invites visitors, I'd love to come visit you at work! Or we'll make another time!

Friendships are precious, like all relationships. We're made to be like God, and God is all about relationships. As Joseph Tkach says:

By becoming friends of God, we also become friends of each other. Since we will each live with God eternally, we will also live with one another eternally, in a relationship characterized by love. We are reconciled not only with God, but also with each other. (Click here for the article that's quoted from.)

In the end, there will be no separation, so let's get used to keeping those friendships now.

So, if you're willing, come ride with me! I love my job and I'd love to share why. (The other day someone I knew in Cokato happened to be riding! That was fun!) You can ride with me any day, Monday - Friday through June 17 (except Memorial Day) on my really interesting current routes in Minneapolis. 

How can you find me? Well, if you have an hour to spare, come to Northeast Minneapolis and look for me on one of the southbound route 10 buses on Central Avenue at 19th, just after 3:05 PM. (There will be more than one, so if the first 10 that comes by isn't mine, just wave it by and I'll probably be driving the next one.) You can ride with me to downtown and stay on the bus until I get you back to the same corner (19th & Central) about an hour later. Or stay on that northbound bus and I'll get you back to your car after I'm done with my whole PM set of routes at about 7:00. 

 All my routes now are local or limited stop, much more interesting than the express ones that I'll start June 20. They're more interesting now because of the diverse crowd I get to serve right now.

Time to stop writing and publish this.

God's peace to you all.

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