Packing up the dreams God planted
In the fertile soil of you
Cant believe the hopes hes granted
Means a chapter in your life is through
But well keep you close as always
It wont even seem youve gone
cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong
And friends are friends forever
If the lords the lord of them
And a friend will not say never
cause the welcome will not end
Though its hard to let you go
In the fathers hands we know
That a lifetimes not too long to live as friends.
- Friends by Michael W. Smith
The waterworks pretty much opened up for many of the 13 and 14 year olds as this song played at the year end slideshow of my 8th grade year. We had just finished two great years at Bill Reed Jr. High / Middle School and next year half of my class would be attending Thompson Valley High and the other half would be attending Loveland High. The slideshow was a time to reflect on the past year, but it also reminded us of the fact that this would be the last time many of our friends would be our classmates. It was an emotional time.
This was not the first time I had to learn to say goodbye, and it most definitely was not the last time that I had to say goodbye. Over the span of my life, I have had to say goodbye to more people then I can really count, and I recognize that I will say goodbye to many more throughout the course of my life. One of the greatest sources of sadness in my life is the realization that in a couple short years, I will have to say goodbye to the members of my seminary class. Though there are always good intentions of keeping in touch, and not losing contact with others, inevitably many in this group will lose touch and life will go on.
I just returned not long ago from a trip to Colorado. It was an amazing trip and I was able to connect with some of my best friends in the world. While many of these are the friends that I will never lose touch with, I don’t have the same contact that I used to with them all, and leaving Colorado forced me to say goodbye again; just as quickly as I was able to say hello. Life goes on.I am getting ready to say goodbye here again very soon. The last week in my summer internship is upon me, and I have been preparing in my head the last sermon I will give here. While it will be a full sermon, I also hope to be able to say a brief goodbye in it, and thank the congregation for all the lessons they have taught me during my brief stay here. I would love to promise that I will stop back by sometime and keep everybody informed of what I am doing, but I know that will probably not happen as well as it could. I know that I will be saying goodbye, most likely permanently, to people who have meant a lot to me.
I love the meaning of these lyrics by Michael W. Smith. I love the idea, that just because we say goodbye, that we are still friends. I believe this, and it gives me great hope in my life. I still think often of all the people who have had meaning in my life, who I no longer keep in contact with. I wonder what has happened to many of these people who I will probably never see again, but still hold in my heart. I wonder where Amy, my kindergarten playmate is. The last time I saw her was the wedding of my short-lived marriage. I wonder what happened to Colin and Jeff, the best friends of my childhood. I saw Colin at his wedding, many years ago, but didn’t have a chance to say hello. I ran into Jeff’s father some time ago and found that he was happy, and living life in Denver. I took Jackie to my junior prom, and graduated from both high school and college with here. The last I saw her she was planning on going to grad school some 8 years ago. I probably still have the ability to get in touch with a few other friends from high school, but never do. I saw Gwen at my 10 year reunion, and have had e-mail conversations with Keith and Melissa and Krista, but our lives have gone their separate ways. My life, and I’m sure yours, are littered with stories of people who have impacted our lives and then faded as our lives have gone on; but it’s a comfort to know that we can still count ourselves as friends forever.
Lord, thank you for friendship, thank you for putting these people into my life. You reveal yourself to us in many ways, but one of the most personal ways we see you, is in the eyes of each others; in the eyes of our friends. In the smiles and laughter shared between buddies, you have shown us the power of your joy. In the quiet whispers and shared anxieties of companions you have given us trust. As close friends have come together over tears of anguish, you have taught us compassion in a heartfelt embrace. We have learned peace as we experience you Lord, over quiet times of contentment with our pals. We have learned forgiveness in our realization that losing a friend is not worth the price of a mistake. In the selfless act of another, we have learned what it means to give, and in their humble acceptance of our gifts we have learned how to receive. In true friendship we learn about the greatest gift you have given us; we learn how to love. It is in friendship where we model the true mission of the church here on earth. In scripture you tell us what is good and bad, but it is in the work of the Holy Spirit as seen in our friendships where we get to experience it. Thank you for your true gift of love; thank you for friends.
