Feasting with Friends

I was reading this morning from David Brainerd's diary, the entry from April 26, 1745. A statement that he made in that entry struck me, and caused me to think about the gratefulness that I have to God for people in my life. He said,

"Just in the evening was visited by a dear Christian friend, with whom I spent an hour or two in conversation, on the very soul of religion. There are many with whom I can talk about religion; but alas! I find few with whom I can talk religion itself: but, Blessed be the Lord, there are some that love to feed on the kernel, rather than the shell."

This made me begin to count the people in my life, that I could sit down with and really poor my soul out to. I am a pretty vulnerable person most of the time, and am usually willing to share what's on my mind and heart. But the number of people that I could really let loose with completely is few. And I guess we are all that way. I doubt that this is peculiar to me.

I wouldn't dare to list those people on this post. I'm sure that I would forget someone, and they might be hurt that forgot them. But all that having been said, I am truly grateful for those of you who are those people to me. Some of you are dear friends that I see often; some are family; and some are friends from a long time whom I don't hear from often, but when I do, the same sort of intimacy returns.  I owe you a great debt.

I hope that we all have friends like that.  Thank you, Lord, for mine!  Help me to be that kind of friend to others.