The Madness of Hope

D for Diversity

I am blessed with diversity in friendships. When considering their backgrounds, ages, ethnicity and beliefs, I realize I am blessed beyond measure to know such a wide variety of ladies.

My oldest friend is Thelma. She is ninety-five, lives in a nursing home and her mind is sharper than mine. She remembers every detail of every conversation. Thelma has been a Christian for longer than my heart has been beating. My youngest friend is twenty and a new believer, yet her love for the Lord is strong and vibrant and yesterday we discovered a common passion.

Some are wives of diplomats and businessmen who are wealthy and claim many perks. Others live in one room homes, ride the bus, and live pay check to pay check.

Most of my friends are followers of Christ, yet I have some who are Mormon, Muslim and ‘Anything Goes‘ and we don’t talk about our diversity in religion. Yet within my Christian circle we often debate our difference of beliefs and respect the fact that many questions will not be answered until Christ returns.

I have lived and created friendships in seven different countries. As often as I move, so they also move and we are scattered now over twenty-eight countries that I can count: but it could be more as the migration continues. It is a small world in that four times, I have made friends in one country, only to find them later at another destination. Oh the joy of arriving to a new place to have a ready made friend.

I have girly girl friends and tomboy friends, women who are disciplined and those who live hectic lives. I have bible study friends, running friends, book friends and just plain crazy friends.

I am thankful for the diversity of my friends and the constant newness and challenge they bring to my life. But most of all I am thankful that we are always there for each other, through the heartache and the fun. We love each other for who we are and for who God is making us to be.

One of my biggest blessings in life is that, each time I move, God always provides at least one friend who speaks English and who is a Christian. That is something never taken for granted or left un appreciated.

The sad part of many of my friendships is that we will never see each other again this side of heaven. That will just make heaven more of a reunions spot! It also makes me thankful for email and Facebook.

So today, as I contemplate a ‘d’ word that describes something I am grateful for, I thank God for my diverse group of friends.

On a side note, the photo above was taken last year in Zimbabwe with some of my friends who attended my wedding in 1987. It was the first time we had all been together since 1988.