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
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