As the New Year gets underway, I have a deep desire to send encouragement and love to my friends. You’ve blessed my life in so many ways, I can hardly count them all. You gave me support when things weren’t going as I hoped they would. You listened and didn’t judge my thoughts. You offered kind advice and prayed for new possibility. You were awesome.
Somewhere over time, I’ve lost track of some of you. I’ve left you in some other city, some other place, drifting away into my current life. If you’re still out there somewhere, I want you to know that you have not been forgotten. You have not been abandoned. The gift of friendship you gave me still stirs my heart and brings joy to my spirit. I believe God put you in my life for just that point in time, so that we could be there for one another, growing and learning and becoming more of what we dreamed we might be.
If we only met briefly, then I am grateful for the special moments we shared. If we had more experiences together, than I hope we both have more than a few fond memories to carry in our hearts. The main thing is simply to be able to tell you that you still matter to me and to everyone around you. You make a difference in the world simply by being the person you are. So, forgive me if I’ve been out of touch, because as the saying goes, “out of sight, is not out of mind.” You’ are part of who I am, part of what I needed to learn, part of the grace and mercy God has shown me.
I just wanted to share this message with you today, because I don’t believe anything really happens by chance. We were meant to share a portion of our life journey and I’m so happy that we were able to do so. As we go forward, I pray we will have many reasons to celebrate all that God has done for us.
Thank you for being you and for the special part you’ve played in my life. And to those of you who’ve only met me through the pages of a book, I pray big blessings and great joy in this year. God has not forgotten you.
Thanks for being my friends.