a new friend

well I have been meaning to type about my new friend, Lonnie.
Brad and Lonnie were the best of friends in highschool, I have heard many stories, funny how our spouses have a life before us. After all this time of Brad and I being together its even funnier to hear stories about his past. In my eyes our lives began when we met one another and the rest of it is from a life lived so many years ago. I like to hear about his times in his past and how he was, most of it not too far off from the person Brad is today, you can see through some of the chaos that he was still that person I love today under all that teenage "stuff" we all experience.
I met Lonnie when Brad and I were planning our wedding and for a short period of time after we wed. Then as fast as we welcomed Lonnie in to our lives he was out of our lives.
Recently we found him on the infamous Facebook. I decided to type him a Hello message and see if he would accept our online friendship. He did of course and it was the start of restoring a friendship with Brad from long ago and new friendship for myself. Those of you that know me know how much I cherish good friendships. I have had great conversations with Lonnie and have enjoyed getting to know this person that Brad spoke of so often.
I have also learned that through a series of events Lonnie's life as changed dramatically and he is on a path of healing. Brad and I hope we can be a part of that healing with him. To see him turn his life into what he wants it to be, and more so for what God intends it to be.
He is an amazing person with so much to offer this world. Yesterday evening while I was working Lonnie spent time with Brad. I have to add because you can all possibly relate to the thoughts Brad has had of "how boring my life is, I work and hang with my family, why would this guy want to hang with me?"
I have told him that he is a great person that many want to hang out with.
These are my thoughts, right now he and Lonnie are going through the ritual of what have you been doing and remember when stories.
A renewed friendship has to go through all of those steps so that a "new" friendship can emerge and develop. It needs time to catch up to the lives we all live today.
Friday night Lonnie came by and arrived a few moments before Brad did and we were inside talking, Brad came in and he lit up, a smile on his face that was so wonderful for me to see.
Brad has talked so much these last few weeks on how he feels like he is losing who he is to the seriousness of the world around him. He is an amazing man with so much compassion for what goes on around him. I try to help him by reminding him of the great person he is, the gifts God has given him and what direction he is taking his work in. God will reward him and guide him and that he is still Brad, the man I love and respect with that amazing sense of humor fully intact.
As much as I think we can support his new/old friend I think Brad will get that support back and in time that friendship will move past the old times and new memories will develop.
Last night Lonnie mentioned he was going to church in the morning and I was proud to hear him say this but didn't think anything past that. This morning I woke with the thought that I too wanted to attend church and that I should call him. I felt moved to call him, knowing Brad would be ok with it, I made the call. I am glad I did. I met Lonnie at a church he wanted to try and he was going alone and I know all too well that feeling of attending on your own, and for a first timer that is even harder. So I met him and we went. The service was good, but it was not my church it was no "Church on the rock". I love my church and every once in a while it is on the blah side, but more times than not I am so moved when I am there. I walk out feeling a breath of fresh air, renewed. Today I felt good that I went, good that I had a friend to go with, we even had matching outfits on which we both laughed about. I have told him he is my male Robbie. So you know now that I am really enjoying my friendship with him, and due to him being a male it is easier that he is Brad's friend and that he trusts him. This friendship would go no where if that was not the case. I am the girl that has the attitude that no one compares to my daddy or my husband so I am totally comfortable with male friendships.
Point is that today , this morning was a wonderful gift and I felt I was doing a great thing for my new friend and for myself. He felt the same as I about this church and asked on the way out " so your church next week". Well I am so excited to share COTR with him and hope now that it is an amazing service that will bless him and he will want to return again with me. It will be nice to sit next a companion in Christ and receive God.
Today was about worshiping, experiencing, praising God. Reminding us its ok to praise God in how you feel and see fit, there are no rules. God just wants to hear our voices, no matter what we think we sound like, It is sweetness to his ears. If we want to pray to him, its not how we say it or what we say. Its that we believe in his ability to hear us through voice or thought and we are doing so. We can praise him in many ways and should always remember to do so. He gave his son for us and he loves us more than we can ever comprehend. Some things I wrote down in church today, which my notes were not as full as when I attend COTR but all the same I took some things away with me. In my eyes that is the point, to get something from church that will make you think, motivate you in one way or another, one song was moving to me, it was up beat and made me want to praise.
my notes read as follows
Worship lifts our hearts from worldly problems
love your Lord with all your heart and soul
Dont worship the song , band or pastor. Let the song lead you to worship God
it is not something to us or for us but by us
we are the performers and God is the audience
celebration of praise, praise in the manner that is fitting to you, hands lifted, voices lifted, eyes lifted whatever it may be, it should be to yours.
and the band sure is sneaky!, oh wait that was a note to Lonnie, HA
we were praying and it was all of 30 or so seconds, we opened our eyes and the band was in place, not a sound had been made while they moved back in to position.
:) it just hit me as "boy they are sneaky" Lonnie wondered how deep in prayer we had been :)
So that is my new friend and a wonderful friend that I pray for and have such hope for in his future, his life and as a part of my family's life. God blesses us with situations and people for a reason, embrace it and pray about it and know that God is behind everything.
Brad says maybe he will go next time, I sure hope so!