Friendship

There's a lot to blog about these days and I'd be remiss if any more time passed without mentioning some special people in our lives. Lee and Davis Mitchell and their two beautiful children (Lewis pictured on right with Lee and Davis) and (Bo pictured on left with my wife Mary) are the kind of people you want to be associated with. Friendships are funny. There are people in my life who have come and gone during certain seasons of life (as I've come and gone from others' lives) and there are people who, as time passes, rise to the top as unique people on the journey I need in my life, those with whom I cherish the painstaking efforts of long-term friendship-building. Lee and I met 13 years ago when we were both on our first Young Life camp trip as adult volunteer leaders. Wide-eyed and terrified, we endured, nay, thrived, during the week with kids and following became pen pals. There, I said it, we were pen pals. This was before e-mail came onto the scene and cell phones were consumer priced. We had an excuse. Over the last 13 years our lives have in many ways mirrored each other with similar life experiences, shared experiences and now the great joy of having our wives begin a friendship.

Last month we had the privilege of joining them at the Mitchell family "cottage" on Sea Island. Before we got there, Davis asked us what our favorite color was. "Blue" was our reply and when we got there, we were greeted by blue balloons and got to stay in the blue colored master suite (they're all master suites, let it be known. There was truly nothing 'cottagey' about it). It was a relaxing 5 days of beach walks, food, sweet laughing kids, southern caviar (thanks Davis!) and rich conversation. I mean, hey, if you're going to build deep friendships, why not at the beach? We're so grateful to have had this time to be together.

To me it is a picture of perseverance and consistency. We've put the building blocks of faith, grace and honesty at the forefront and have seen, even through 'slow' periods of life and friendship, the harvest reaped from such a commitment. Thank God for friends and family we get to share life with. This is really what it all boils down to for me-my and Mary's life intertwined with family and friends whose arms we hold up and who hold our arms through the highest highs and the lowest lows.

Davis recently started a blog (got me blogging again) and you'll have to check it out here. Beautiful stories and pics of their family...