Patty and I attended the High School graduation of our granddaughter Adrie tonight. We have 28 grandkids, and she is the fourth of our grandkids to graduate from High School. None of them are married yet, so no great-grandkids. I remember the day when we had no kids, and the doctor told us we wouldn’t be able to have any children. I am so thankful that the Lord chose to bless us with eight children who are all amazing disciples of Jesus.

Another category of people that I like to count in my life are my friends. Jesus elevated the meaning of that word when He called His disciples His friends.

Proverbs 17:17: A friend loves at all times.

Proverbs 18:24 there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

When I started pastoring almost 50 years ago, a well-meaning pastor told me that pastors couldn’t have friends in their church because they have to lead without partiality, and if someone were their friend, they wouldn’t be able to do that. I am glad that I didn’t follow that advice. Over the years, I have had many excellent friends in our church.

I was recently asked what the secret to lasting in ministry was, and I responded that there are five keys to running the race with endurance, and one of them was having good friends who knew how to encourage you.

I am a blessed man with a wonderful wife, eight children, six sons-in-law, two daughters-in-law, 28 grandchildren, and many good friends who would do anything for me and who I would do anything for.

I read a book several years ago titled, “The Lonely Male.” I thought when I finished it, that isn’t me. It is too bad that so many guys don’t have close friends. Many have buddies that they do things with, but most don’t have close friends.

Several years ago, a man in our church was lamenting that he had no friends. I suggested that he change that, and he said that guys just didn’t like him. I said that he could choose to be a friend to someone else instead of waiting for someone to decide to be his friend.