PLEASANTNESS OF A FRIEND

You can buy these here

Often at Christmas I’d receive a beautiful jar of my favorite fragrance. The pleasantness of the subtle fragrance is a delight and can be long-lasting. I’d have quite a collection of exquisite jars if I had kept them over the years! The choices of fragrances are impossible to count! Chanel, Blue Grass, Tosca, Oscar, Royal Secret, Giorgio, Alfred Sung and so on and so on! I know, I’m dating myself but these are some pleasing perfumes I have enjoyed over the years. However, nowadays, many people have allergies and some public places are declared scent free, including my place of work.

Just as “perfume and incense 
bring joy to the heart, 

the pleasantness of one’s friend 
springs from his earnest counsel. “ 

Prov. 27:9. 

Now that’s a fragrance no one is allergic to! 

I’m sure that as you read this, 

very special people come to mind! 

Your heart is warmed as you remember their presence in your life.

There are friends with whom we may share confidences and the trust is definitely mutual. I’m grateful for friends who do not flaunt our friendship, thereby creating jealousy in another’s heart. I’m thankful for friends who do not use our friendship to manipulate or gain advantage. I’m thrilled that I have friends who always have my best interests at heart as I do theirs. I delight in friends whose sense of humor gets me to laugh at a situation or even myself! 

What a joy and honor it is to be loved, respected and appreciated for who we are, to feel secure in relationship, to have no need to prove oneself, and know that our name will never be maligned, but will be remembered in prayer. There is a profound joy of heart when we receive earnest counsel from such a friend. We welcome and value their wisdom and have learned to apply it to our life. Rare are those people who make almost everyone feel that they are the most special. Without the people in my life whom God has sent, I am the one deprived!

Think on this: Are we, with God’s help, the kind of friend who shows genuine interest, who listens, who is willing to be vulnerable, who shares from the heart, who forgives, who encourages and who loves without strings attached? Do we make the first move or do we always wait for others to show their affection first? Do we cringe inwardly when someone wants to be our friend? Do we keep people at arm’s length thinking, “What does he or she want?” Is our heart filled with prejudice and perhaps fear of relationship? 

Perhaps this is just the person 

the Lord has sent as a gift to you for a reason, 

a season or as best forever friend.

It just blows me away that my welcome smile, the sparkle in my eyes, a warm hand-shake and kind words from my lips can make a huge difference in someone’s life. This season and throughout the whole year, let’s warm one another’s heart, especially in the household of faith, as it can be icy cold out there sometimes. 

I thank God for each one of you - 

you enrich my life by your very presence!

You are blessed and pleasant friends!