Devotional 6-2-16

Please read Psalm 146:3-8

Oh, what great friends we have! Have you ever thought about your friends? How many true friends can you have? There are the friends or classmates you had when you were in elementary school clear through high school. Some were closer to you than others, many memories were shared during those years. After high school graduation most everyone went their separate ways; to college, to vocational schools, and so on. Many got married, some to high school sweet hearts, had families, divorced, and worked at their vocations for 30 plus years, then retirement. A long with all those years there are health issues and sometimes loss of a spouse, a parent, or a child, which is difficult to cope with.

Growing up in a small town in southern Ohio, this was what our life was like. Most classmates left Gallipolis to further our careers but we left our hearts there. My graduation class of 1967 at Gallia Academy High School was the typical class as described above.

Two years ago after Caryl had retired and moved back to Athens, Ohio where Sonja already lived. Shortly after, two other classmates discovered they had breast cancer, a day a part and had surgery the same week. Caryl and Sonja wanted to “do something” to comfort them. So they invited those in our class to come to a Blanket making party to make the felt cut and tie blankets to give to classmates and to the cancer center at Holzer Hospital, in Gallipolis.

These blankets have been given to classmates, family, friends and cancer patients to show the Love, Hope and Comfort to the recipient. It is a reminder that they are not alone because everyone has special friend, Jesus Christ. God is the hope and the help of the needy, Jesus affirms his concern for the poor and afflicted. He does not separate the social and spiritual needs of people but attends to both. While God is the hope of the needy, we are his instrument to help here on earth.

We have been meeting once a month for over 2 years and have 12-15 members who make the blankets. Other classmates send love donations to keep this project funded.

This past April, ten of the blanket ladies went on a trip to Arizona to visit a classmate and to meet a wonderful new friend who we made a blanket for that had breast cancer and lost her husband right after she was diagnosed. We had a wonderful time and came back closer friends than before the trip. We are a close knit class who is very supportive of this project and our friendships. We are all looking forward to our 50^th class reunion in 2017!

We are all friends who share the Love and Concern for others through the “Best Friend” anyone could have, Jesus—we will never be alone because He will always be with us!

Prayer:
Dear Lord,
Thank you for all you do for us, show us the way to show others who Jesus really is, someone who loves us and will always be there for us. Help us to continue to love and keep Jesus as our friend by showing others his love. What a friend we have in Jesus!

Amen
Melanie Herr