January 10
Scripture: 3 John 1:5
Source author: Edie Melson
January 10
A Risk Worth Taking Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you. —3 John 1:5
I was desperately lonely. My husband’s job had landed us in our fifteenth home in nine years, and I was a stay-at-home mom with a toddler. As we walked into a couples’ Sunday school class, I prayed someone would want to invest in friendship. The class had the usual introductions and then someone asked how we’d arrived in their community. As we explained about contract engineering and our nomadic lifestyle, one couple was listening to God. “Wow, how can we pray for you?” I decided to take a chance. I confessed my loneliness and how I craved a friend. In the short silence, I felt the room weighing the cost of friendship. But Susan didn’t even hesitate. “Come over and have lunch with us today after church.” Her husband echoed the invitation with a grin. “It’ll give us a chance to visit.” I’ve never forgotten their gift that day and have found many dear friends when I invest in others.
Investing in friendship and love always brings great returns. — Edie Melson —