Maybe seasons of friendship.  But it makes me very sad to think I lost a
friend.  Friendship takes mutual effort.  Maybe you didn't really lose him 
as a friend.  He may have just gotten lost in the ministry.  Thinking about 
it, if it was me, I'd probably wait for contact from him.

Vicki

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, October 01, 2006 8:21 PM
Subject: What Would You Think?


> This is a true story.  My best friend told me about three years ago, he
> lives in another state, that based upon what his church was giving him to
> do
> as far as ministry expansion was concerned, he wouldn't be able to talk to
> me as often.  I wasn't certain what that meant because we had only been
> talking about once or twice every two years at that time.  When we did
> call
> each other, after a year, or more had passed, we would often talk for
> hours.
> A couple of days would pass, and one of us would call again and we would
> talk for hours once again.  Then another year, sometimes two, would go by,
> and we wouldn't talk at all by phone.  Once and awhile we would exchange
> emails but otherwise, it was quiet between extended periods of time.  When
> he told me three years ago that he would be working on a special project
> for
> his church and that he wouldn't be able to call like he used to, even back
> then, knowing what the project was, I couldn't understand why he was
> telling
> me he wouldn't be able to talk as often when we weren't talking all that
> often in the first place.  No, I have not called him in three years
> either.
> Why?  Because he said he would be busy and when I have thought, and
> prayed,
> for him, I have not felt the Lord telling me to call.  On top of that, I
> have emailed him probably a half a dozen times, and once, I got a reply,
> but
> it was very short, like a single sentence and had no information
> concerning
> what he was doing, his family, the ministry, or anything of a personal
> nature.  His message simply acknowledged he got my message.  That was
> perhaps a year ago.  Now, what would you think by this point?  This man
> and
> I have been closest of friends since bible college days when we were
> roommates.  We did everything together.  We even traveled together and
> preached in churches together for a couple of years back in the seventies.
> We have always kept in touch and spent hundreds of hours on the phone
> talking about the Lord.  He is one of the most faithful men of God I know
> and He has the gift of evangelism and probably wins more people to Christ
> than anybody I personally know.  It is natural for him.  So, without
> knowing
> the ministry he was asked by his church to do, what's your best guess
> about
> this situation?  We used to call each other and discuss personal things we
> were facing.  Now, for three years, nothing.  Dead.  No, if he were dead,
> his wife would call me.  So, it has really confused me to think about it
> because it just isn't like this friend of mine who is a pastor.  It seems
> very mysterious to me for some reason.  Why would you tell your best
> friend,
> someone you only speak to once or twice every other year, that you
> wouldn't
> be able to talk as much because your life was going to be taken up by the
> new ministry you were in.  What, by the way, do you think we always talked
> about during those hours on the phone?  Jesus.  We talked about nothing
> but
> Jesus, the ministry, winning people to Christ, theology, the Holy Spirit,
> and never about anything else.  Jesus is what my friend and I have slept,
> dreamed, eaten, and talked and walked about our entire lives.  It is all
> we
> cared about period.  Even when we traveled, we talked hour after hour
> about
> the Lord and His Word.  Like I said, it is very strange but I feel no
> leading to make contact.  Any ideas?
>
> Phil.
>
>
> He's ready when you are.
> www.SafePlaceFellowship.com