Lasting Friendships!


      My favorite quote from the movie “The Good old boys” starring Tommy Lee Jones and Sissy Spacek, happens at the end of the movie when, the character played by Tommy Lee, is about to ride off into the sunset, choosing the cowboy way of life over the love of his life played by Sissy Spacek….she says to him

“If wealth was measured in friendships you would be the wealthiest man in the world” He replies:   “It is and I am”

 Yesterday, our family road the historic Durango/Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to the beautiful Mountain town of Silverton.

The scenery was spectacular, the trip 3 hours and a half (each way) of soaring Mountain vistas and emerald green water cascading down the Animas River.

We even saw a bear on the way back down!

No wonder national geographic says this is the number one train ride in North America!

It is, but for Laura and I the trip was much more than that, much more than breathtaking views and the family memories made traveling all of 18 miles per hour!

Waiting in Silverton were friends, which we have known since I was their Pastor in my first Church in Rocky Ford, Colorado. A friendship established in 1988. Chad and Joanne Geist and son Cody were waiting when we arrived.

She told her son he could recognize me by my red-hair Ha Ha….maybe in 1988 he could have…. but not now!

I recognized Chad and Joanne same warm smiles and open arms. We had a wonderful reunion on the dusty streets of Silverton, then an all too brief lunch at Handlebars restaurant.

Our three sons and Cody were at the table next to us and became fast friends.

Sitting there looking into Chad and Joanne’s welcoming faces, the years melted away and we caught up as best we could….knowing that the scant two hours we had in Silverton would soon force a hasty goodbye.

We all ambled (That’s what you do in an old west town, or you can mosey) back to the train, where the train whistle blew four times, indicating our need to get on board. We waved goodbye to our forever friends, thankful that the Lord would grant us this 9,000 foot reunion.

Laura wrote this to Joanne on face book last night: Really enjoyed seeing you all today!! Thanks for making the trip - it was great to catch up. Let's not make it so long next time!!

Joanne replied: It was great to see u both, and ur boys. It sure was hard to see u leave. We do have to make it to see u sooner, somehow some way. Cody and I really enjoyed the fellowship. It is great how friends can just pick up where they left off.

Reflecting on our trip and our friends this morning I thought of “The Good Old Boys Quote:


"If wealth was measured in friendships you would be the wealthiest man in the world”

And I thought to myself….It is and I am!

Michael W. Smith reminds us of the value of true freinds....enjoy! 
 

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