Old Friendships Never Die

I'm not sure what God is up to but I love it. One week ago as I was getting ready to delete my junk folder I thought I'd look at what was in it before I pushed the delete button. Much to my surprise I saw a name I recognized. As I opened the e-mail it said, "Is this the Mike Sove I served Jesus with in Greenwood Indidna? Please reply if it is!"

Not only did I reply but ended talking on the phone with my old friend Jeff Cummings for over an hour. It has been 12 years but as I talked with him it seemed like we had never been apart. That's the beauty of spiritual relationships. Jeff was part of my first church plant, a church called White River Baptist Church located in Greenwood Indiana on the south side of Indianapolis.

We spent may hours together and both passionately loved Jesus. I'll never forget a few events that we worked together on. I had an opportunity to speak to a large gathering of teens and Jeff built me a cross to use as a prop. When I moved to Ohio I took that cross with me and it remains on the platform of Vineyard Community Church. Another time Jeff helped me as we rented out the Greenwood Recreation Center for a large outreach event. The more I think about it Jeff and I share a heart for evangelism!

The first time I ever attended a Cell Conference Jeff was by my side. We traveled to Columbus Ohio to hear Dale Galloway speak. He was the same person you hear Bill Warren speak about in his call to transition Allen to be a Cell Church. So Bill and I were both being called and God was using the same people to capture our attention for the power of cell ministry.

I am so excited to renew my friendship with Jeff and look forward to his visit to the Eastern Shore this summer. We share a common love and that is for Jesus Christ. I only wish 12 hours didn't separate us. But thank God for internet and cell phones!

Tonight I received a call from John another friend from my past. I don't know what God is doing but I'm Blessed to have friends through the years who all love Jesus and God is knitting our hearts together once again. What amazed me the most about both these friends from the past was what God had done in their hearts and lives. I could see that God had done an amazing work in deepening their relationship with Him. They oozed Jesus and humility. Both men said if they had done anything in the past to offended me or hurt me they asked forgiveness! I assured them both that I had nothing but thankfulness and good memories as it relates to them and the years we had together!

"Thank You Lord for the gift of relationships in the Body of Christ!"