At All Times

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” 

Proverbs 17:17 (ESV)

One of the three Greek words for friendship is “phileo”, from which our city of Philadelphia is named.  Friendship is a double-edged sword.  A true friend loves at all times, the Scriptures say.  This was one of the first Sunday School verses I was ever taught.

“All times” means in happiness and in sorrow, in abundance and in need, in sickness and in health, in bewilderment and in joyful amazement.

Day before yesterday I finished studying Philippians; and then, yesterday, honestly, I was too busy to write a post, as the day was consumed with the team’s preparations for a church-wide “dinner on the grounds” to honor our pastor and his family.  There has been a supernatural degree of upheaval at our church recently.  Because of this, it was very important for the church family to join together and love on our pastor and on one another.

God showed up.

Rarely, have I had the opportunity to, first of all, have such awesome and true friends.  Every single one of my pastor’s family members, from the very youngest to the most senior, sets my spirit ablaze!  It is my privilege to co-minister with them all, to pray for their ministries, work in their ministries, financially support their ministries because, they are “the real deal”.  I know that God has amazing plans for each and every one of them, and I just pray to continue to have a part in what He is going to do.  (Romans 8:31)

So!  A party for nearly 500 people…outside at a public park!  You know, there is a time to plan and to coordinate and to request help and …. to just then step out of the way. 

This week’s topic at The Loft is “Still”.  (You can find The Loft at leahadams.org) We can plan and plan and then be anxious over our planning.  (I prayed Philippians 4 a lot yesterday!  Again, God had me in His Word exactly where He needed me to be…)  But, things go best when we obey His leading to exercise the gifts He gave us, and then still ourselves to simply “let God be God.”

There were miracles last night.

First of all, the main entrée was hotdogs, which we invited Sunday School classes to donate.  Our church runs approximately 700 in worship in recent months.  About 450 hotdogs were donated, and only about 200 people had rsvp’ed to the event.  We were laughing about all those hotdogs!  But, you know what?  Like the loaves and fishes, less than 30 “dawgs” were left over.  God knew how many we would need.

I went through the food line last and was still able to fix myself a hotdog and a full plate of food, plus dessert!

Did I mention this event was held outside?  In mid-July?  At 5:30, it was 95 degrees.   By the time the event began at 6:30, though, the shade had overtaken the area, with a gentle breeze had begun to blow.

And, at the end, when the last speaker was sharing about deep, decades-long friendship and the closing prayer was being prayed, the wind whipped up as if the Holy Spirit Himself was blowing through the souls of the people as they stood to bless this precious group of loved ones. (Numbers 6:24-26)  I believe He WAS there, blowing through our hearts throughout the evening.

Miracles occurred in hearts.

“Be still, and know that I am God.  I will be exalted among the heathen.  I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)

Abba Father, when we seek Your will, to align our meandering wills with Your perfect will, and when we follow You in obedience, then it is time to step out of the way and be still…to be still and watch You do Your marvelous, spotless, grace-filled miracles.  The greatest miracle of all is how You love us with a love that will never be fully understood by us, because it defies our human capabilities.  I am not only grateful for how You have loved me, but more so for how You have given me the opportunity to love others, in Jesus name.  May Your name be praised, today and through all of eternity. Amen.