Have you ever considered what causes a friendship to begin in the first place? Often the most valued friends are those that come into our life organically. By that I mean, we weren’t seeking friendship or even wishing for it; the unexpected friendship just begins.
How it started…
In 2018, that is what I was gifted- an unexpected friendship. You see, my family and I have been going in and out our church’s door for years. We see familiar and unfamiliar faces every week and that has always been the “norm”. On one particular Sunday, I was greeted by a smile and handshake that would change a lot about the joy I find when saying hello to someone unfamiliar. That handshake was more than a greeting, it was the beginning of our unexpected friendship that I’m certain will last a lifetime.
Different yet so much the same…
There is a 30-year difference in our ages and we have lived very different lives through differing decades. All of this did not and still does not seem to matter. We have found common interests through gardening, canning vegetables, church, Christmas decorations, and memorable conversations. Speaking of conversation, there is never a lack of that. We have so much to offer and teach one another, maybe because we have walked such different paths and we realize we are more alike than different. Our unexpected friendship is a treasure to us all and something we don’t take for granted.
Today, my friend is having surgery. I woke up at the exact time she is supposed to check-in at the hospital…5:30 a.m.! No, it is no coincidence. My heart knew there was reason to be alert, to pray for comfort, and to simply be aware of her day. I knew I could not be there (still no visitors due to Covid) so I am delivering flowers to her back door-I simply want her to smile when she arrives home and know that she is loved.
Hopefully, these will bring a smile. This is at my friends back door to make leaving a message easy. I love how they are always prepared. 
This back door sign tells of their uniqueness.
You see, friendship is often something we cannot plan or choose, but when it is given, nurture it and thank God for it because as the sign in my friend’s garden reads, “Good friends are for keeps”.
