Best Buds

A sweet friendship refreshes the soul. 
Proverbs 27:9

There she was … on the escalator, smiling and riding down toward me. The next few days were planned with outings and activities, but at that moment, it was just good to see her again and to give her a big hug!

 

Several months before, Becky had hinted that she would like to come see me in the fall, but I knew how fragile life had been since Joe died more than 2 years ago, along with the fact that she is the primary caregiver of her 89 year-old momma. Airline tickets were purchased and the dates put on the calendar. Anticipation mounted as time drew closer. Several incidents took place that made us wonder if we would have to postpone, but God knew that Becky needed the respite and time away.

 

Best Buds at Hershey Chocolate World

On our first full day together, we enjoyed an afternoon of fun and a tasty lunch at Hershey Chocolate World. This was followed by a drive-thru tour of our former life in Middletown, where we built our home in 1991, and then where Kim and Troy were married in Hershey. Later that evening I was honored to have Becky join me as I hosted the October Refresh meeting … the monthly small group that meets in my home. Ten of us ladies gathered to reminisce about childhood friendships and to be reminded that God is all about relationships, most importantly ours with Him!

 

Lancaster County PA is the heart of Amish country in PA … and that is where we spent the following day. Nearly every moment was a Kodak one, and how we both embraced the beauty of the day, the culture, and the sites! It was a perfect day filled with friendship, fun and delicious food!

 

Vintage photo albums provided Saturday morning with hearts full of warm memories, laced with fun and laughter as we flipped through pictures of old boyfriends, church teen activities and friends. The giggles eventually turned into sighs and expressions of sweet sentiment as photos of her Joe and my Tim began to fill the pages with the early days of falling in love, getting married and starting families … the love stories that have been ours for over 3 decades now. At some point, we had to close the albums and quietly remind ourselves that today and tomorrow are new days, full of the promise of new memories yet to experience!

 

Dinner at Dobbins House
Gettysburg, PA

And experience we did! For our final hoorah, we spent the afternoon with my hubby, meandering our way through Gettysburg and catching glimpses of monuments, acres and acres of battlefields, and even a few true historians who dressed for the part. We took advantage of the gorgeous warm sunshine and beautiful autumn leaves as we enjoyed our time together.

As a keepsake of our special time together, Becky’s daughter provided prayer/friendship beads for us to creatively string and use as a reminder to pray for one another. Also, my husband caught the lyrics of a song he was listening to as he was riding the motorcycle over the weekend.  He brought the CD inside and played it for me and Becky … Here are the lyrics.

Click here to listen … https://youtu.be/jk8cPNTBOwc

Reunion of Friends by Phil Keaggy

Look at you, look at me, Together once again.
This is a day to celebrate reunion of friends.
Sha la la la la la la la la la.

Time to dance, time to sing, Time to join our hands.
This is a day to celebrate reunion of friends.

We can recapture the years that slipped away,
We can relive all the memories still,
So don’t you be sad for our prayers
Have been answered today.
It’s time to celebrate.

See you laugh, see you smile, Blessed with innocence.
This is the day to celebrate reunion of friends.
This is the day to celebrate reunion of friends.

We can recapture the years that slipped away,
We can relive all the memories still,
So don’t you be sad for our prayers
Have been answered today.
It’s time to celebrate.

We can recapture the years that slipped away,
We can relive all the memories still,
We can rebuild all His mercy, peace, and grace.
And there is no dream that He can’t fulfill
So let’s celebrate today.

 

Becky’s early Sunday afternoon return flight to Louisiana came all too quickly, but we both felt incredibly grateful for this special weekend that God gifted to us.  As childhood friends and life-time best buds, we recaptured, relived and celebrated! Won’t you join us as we rebuild all His mercy, peace, and grace, knowing that there is no dream that He can’t fulfill!   So let’s celebrate today!

Until next time,
Debbie

 

In God’s wisdom, He frequently chooses to meet our needs
by showing His love toward us through the hands and hearts of others.
Jack Hayford