WHAT KIND OF FRIEND IS THE DIVINE?

If you were a boy/girl scout you might remember the often-heard song that tells you, “Make new friends but keep the old. One is silver but the other is gold.” I am experiencing an amazing new chapter in my life that is bringing this song to life. Having just moved to a new house in a resort-like community, I am meeting exciting new friends. It is so much fun to explore new relationships with people who are eager to do the same thing. First there is learning new names and then trying to remember those names so I can seal them into my memory. Then comes that beginning phase of getting to know someone -- where they come from, what work they do, and who is in their families. There is the delight in finding someone with whom I click! 

At the same time, there are old friends who are coming to visit and experience this new community. This is but one step along the path of our shared journeys to add to a decades- long connection. They see the perspective in my choices and the depth of this step. The richness of our friendship strengthens.

My friendships and experiences are a reflection of my relationship with God. We choose our friends just as we choose our relationship with the Divine. There is always an opportunity to renew that excitement, to learn new things about the God of our understanding. And there is that long connection we have had from the before times to the end of time that deepens and strengthens with each moment and each breath. When I am aware of the Presence, I can experience the silver and the gold.