Being Thankful: Taking Friends for Granted

I have resolved that during this current “change of plans,” I would actively look for things for which to be thankful. Today, I’m thankful for my friends.

I took a couple days off this week and Niki and I decided to start a patio project in the backyard (When social distancing is over, all of you are invited to come check it out!). We needed a tiller to break up the soil, so we called some close friends to see if we could borrow theirs. They set the tiller in the front yard and we drove up, loaded it up on a trailer, and took it home. They greeted us (at a very safe distance) from their porch, and talked for a while. We didn’t get to go inside, share a meal, or hang out like we normally would do. It was bittersweet.

One of the things COVID-19 has made me thankful for is friendship, or more specifically, love for one another rooted in Jesus’ love for us. God commands us to love one another (John 15:12), and for good reason. Love is as necessary as water. And much like water, we don’t tend to think about our need for it unless we don’t have it. 

If I lived in a place where clean drinking water was scarce, I would be much more conscious of my use of it. I wouldn’t waste it. I might even have to ration it. And every time I took a drink, I would be deeply grateful for the privilege. 

This pandemic has shown me how much I have taken for granted the love of others. When this is over, never again will I complain about going to a friend’s house because I had a long day or I’m emotionally spent. I will be more proactive to look for and deeply cherish every opportunity to be obedient to Jesus’ command to love one another. Because love from one to another is as necessary as water. And just like water, you don’t tend to miss it until it becomes scarce.