Love Family and Friends

Mama Said

Love Family & Friends

John 13:34-35 ESV

When Mama said love family and friends I knew that meant everyone. Mama made friends wherever she went. A new person to mama meant a new friend.

One of Mama’s uncles was very kind and compassionate but he was different. She says she didn’t know

why but she knew it didn’t matter either. They loved everyone who came to their house.

Her uncle never married and he never had children. In those days there were men and women who never

married but they did not talk about why their uncle or aunt didn’t marry. Everyone supposed they just

didn’t want to marry or didn’t ever find someone they wanted to marry.

Single people went to church and they were welcome. No one spoke about a person being married or

single…it just was what it was and they loved them for who they were.

Mama said that’s just the way it was…some people married and some didn’t but their decision wasn’t a

topic of conversation.

If they had a need, they were taught to help them no matter who they were. Everyone was welcome at

their church and no one talked about why people were married or single.

Her uncles and aunts who were single had friends and their friends were welcome at Gramma’s table.

Gramma had a huge table and loved company!

One of my best friends from junior high school, high school, and college was single. We were together a

lot. He was a boy and I was a girl but we never dated. He was my friend and I loved him.

John 13:34-35 says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved

you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have

love for one another.”

I loved my friend and he loved me. That’s all that mattered.

I dated and eventually married and had children and I lived away from where I grew up. He was single

and never had children. I looked for him when we had reunions but he wasn’t there. I asked about him

and was told he passed away. That made me really sad that we drifted apart because I really did love my

friend.

I was told he was different and he had a hard life because he was different. I’m going to be sure to look

for him when I get to heaven so we can laugh and sing together like we used to do. He had a convertible

and when it was warm we would drive down where we used to go to college and sing songs we grew up

singing. We had so much fun singing to the top of our lungs when the top was down. We went to the

Methodist Church together when we were in high school. He loved Jesus…that’s how I know he is in

heaven waiting for me.

When I get to heaven we can sing together at the top of our lungs again while we sit on a cloud. I loved

my friend and I look forward to seeing him again.

Love, Deborah

acrazyjourney.com