Last week, I spoke about a particular friend whom I work with.   I posted that on Monday of last week, and on Thursday during our weekly “at the office” bible study, she honored me in a very wonderful way.  It made me feel horribly guilty having just posted about her, but at the same time, the things that she shared were pretty awesome.

The end of our study asked us to cultivate a pattern of praise by taking the time to write a letter to someone who needs encouragement and affirmation and to be specific about the good qualities you see in that person and the good things that he or she has accomplished.  She chose me.  Wow.

I listened in shock as, in tears, she outlined to the group all the things that she appreciated about our friendship.  This friend is very different from me.  We don’t have the same politics.  We don’t share philosophies on how to share our faith.  We don’t even have too many common interests.   I can go from flames to ice in a split second and she has a constant level of calm all the time.  Somehow, though, we manage to get along very well through a certain level of tolerance and we have found a way to share our different types of faith with one another in a respectful and appreciative way.  In the end, the relationship has stretched us both.

Either God has a crazy sense of humor, or he put the two of us together for good reason.  I think the answer is a little of both because the net effect of our relationship has been that I have learned a lot about people who think like my friend, and she has learned a lot about people who think like me.  It goes beyond that, too.  There is a softening that has occurred in the sharp edges of both our characters.  We have learned something about the other side.  We have learned that we don’t have all the answers and that we both still have a lot to learn. 

I get annoyed with this friend sometimes, and I know that my free-flowing, move-with-the-wind philosophy ruffles her smooth feathers as well, but the purpose for our friendship came into full clarity last Thursday.  We could choose to look at the negative annoyances of our unique pairing or we could learn what it is that we can learn from those who think differently from us.

God is so great.  We each play a part in this fascinating adventure story of life.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see the next installment.

“All the world ’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts”  - William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”