friends

In the business of everything, I sometimes forget that I’ll be gone in 3 months time, in a new faraway land, distant from the familiar faces of home. For all the coldness I may have exhibited, deep down inside I’ll really miss every single person I’ve come across – especially in those 6 years of schooling together. In those cold chilly nights of winter, I hope that the photographs pinned up on a humble corkboard will bring warmth to my heart, that the smiles of yesteryear will bring comfort and joy.

In life, it’s rare that you spend more than 10 years with a friend. God has plans, and eventually friends part, walking along separate paths to the different destinities He had ordained for them. Parting is such sweet sorrow – sorrow for we can never be physically there again, but sweet for we know that we our dispersal, the fragrance of Christ will be carried all the more further, to the far ends of the earth.

What does it mean to be friends forever? I’ve often been puzzled at this idealistic phrase, a childhood promise. Because, I’ve never thought it possible to always be in contact with someone, or to always be physically present. Honestly, friends are brought together because of similar circumstances and struggles, because of proximity, because of difficulty. But as circumstances change, as we move apart to different environments – the truth is, that we’ll have less to talk about, less to identify with, and eventually, the friendship will ‘fade away’.

But it doesn’t have to, it doesn’t have to be that way. Friends forever doesn’t have to mean always in contact, always making time to meet up and talk. Friends forever means much more than that…

And friends are friends forever
If the Lord’s the Lord of them
And a friend will not say “never”
‘Cause the welcome will not end
Though it’s hard to let you go
In the Father’s hands we know
That a lifetime’s not too long to live as friends.

The Chinese used to say that no matter how far we are apart, we gaze at the same night sky and the same full moon. For us Christians, no matter how far apart we are, we pray to the same Lord, and we serve the same God…

My friends,
I can’t promise you that I’ll always be there
Can’t promise that I’ll always be available to talk
Can’t promise that I’ll always pray for you (I will try! but i know at times I will fail and forget too)
Can’t promise that I’ll always write to you…

but i promise one thing

that at the gates of Heaven, if i get there first…
i will be there with open arms to embrace you
and i will greet you with joy, saying:

“my friend, i’m so glad we made it here together…”