From the archive:

Have you ever been separated from a friend because of the changes you made in your life? When I started seeking Christ, a friend who had been a daily–sometimes twice a day–visitor to my home stopped coming. During that time I felt that she was rejecting me because I chose Jesus and had stepped back from some activities of the group. She thought that she was respecting my life change by keeping old habits away from me. You know what they say about hindsight–it’s 20/20.

We had a six-year break in our relationship. Her daughter-in-law called me one evening to tell me that she had done all she could. She continued on, stating that her mother-in-law had two cancers and liver failure: “She needs her friend now.” I went to her and through an emotional reunion, she walked me through what I had missed. Then she said, “I need to know God and I always knew you would be the one who would have to teach me.” I did not see that coming! 

I taught her and walked the road with her for the next eight months. Aside from placing her hand in Father’s, my most fulfilling moment was her baptism just weeks before her passing. It made her feel complete. For years I had feared for her eternity but she was not the type to harp on. I had given her an open, no pressure invite enough times but it simply had to be her decision.

Just before her passing, it occurred to me that God is the scheduler of the curriculum in the school of life. The lessons and fellow class members continue to change. I told my girlfriend that my eyes had been opened to see what God had done. We had to be separated so that I could concentrate on my studies, to learn enough to be able to be her guide home when the time came. I had been sent to a different school so that God’s plan of deliverance for her, would be fulfilled. 

We have purpose in each other’s lives far beyond our knowledge. She and I had twenty-six years of friendship but the unexpected twist at the end was the best part of the story. “I realized that it is impossible to grasp all the activity taking place under the sun; because even if a person works hard at searching it out, he won’t grasp it.” (Ecclesiastes 8:17) What does your class lineup look like today? Even if your current studies are Patience 102; Sorrow 230, and Loneliness 204, God is up to something beautiful and he will provide all of the supplies you need today.