Thankful for Friends — Week 1
By:  Lori Lewis, State Girls Clubs Coordinator, South Carolina

Scripture:  “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you” (Philippians 1:3).

The Food Network is a very popular channel on T.V., featuring great cooks like Rachel Ray, Paula Deen, Sandra Lee and the list goes on.  These ladies are entertaining, fun and give some very good tips and recipes.  I’ve watched them and you probably have, too.  I’m thinking of some ladies who aren’t famous but are good cooks and have shared wonderful recipes with me throughout the years.

Among my favorite recipes are those I’ve gotten from my mother and grandmother.  I remember helping my mother in the kitchen and enjoying the delicious meals she prepared for us.  It seems we always had someone over to eat with us—many times unexpected guests.  My mother always made it work and made it look easy.  When we began our ministry as youth pastors in Lexington, Kentucky, our pastor’s wife was the epitome of a perfect hostess.  She had the gift of hospitality and knew how to cook.  She shared some of her favorite recipes with me.  I hoped to be just like her one day.

In our first pastorate in Fairbanks, Alaska, we had quite a few military families join our church who were stationed at Ft. Wainwright.  We became a close-knit church family because we were separated from our biological families.  A military wife and member shared her recipes with me.  I still use her recipes today and think of her whenever I do.  Her husband is confined to a wheelchair now, but their dedication and love for the Lord persists in spite of suffering.  Another member, who was a professor at the University of Alaska, shared her grandmother’s recipes.  She was such an encouragement to me at a time when I was feeling down and alone.  I’ll never forget her for being a friend when I really needed one. 

Isn’t it beautiful how the Lord uses the ingredients of different people to blend into our lives?  We are a recipe in the making.  The influence of these ladies and their presence in my life has made me a better person.  I thank God for each of them and the friendship we share.  Have you shared any recipes lately?

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