Riches

I have been given such beautiful friends. My heart feels squeezed to think of them. I especially love my friends Tony Seda and Tim Baldwin. Tony talks more, he is "louder" with his faith, he speaks with fire and passion and the man has suffered so much and it has turned him into gold. I don't know Tim as well, but this is because he is quieter. He is simple and has a great heart, his quietness is a perfect complement to Tony's personality. Together the two are beautiful. They have not gotten to know me in the normal way, we've spent very little time together in each other's presence. And yet they extend to me the love of Christ without any reserve. I feel completely comfortable with them. I cannot go on in many words about them because...I just don't want to. I just want to appreciate them, and what God has made of them. They are true men. They are hidden saints. Blessed be He for what He has done in them; they have done nothing on their own!
I have been given my parents, whose generosity knows no bounds, who are so cool about the toughest stuff, and this is such a turn-around from when I was a kid. The compassion and faith of my parents threatens to bring tears to my eyes. I love them. Blessed be He for what He has done in them; they have done nothing on their own!
I have been given my grandmother. Her faith is constant, her prayers are constant. I know her now not only as Gramma but as the woman she is. I am so grateful that in this the sunset of her life I have been granted to know her not as a child knows but as an adult knows. Her faith is simple and quiet. Her natural impulse is to pray for others. She delights in simple things. She speaks French. Blessed be He, for what He has done in her; she has done nothing on her own!
I have been given Theresa. Her sense of humor is a paragon of wit. Her mind is sharp as a razor and her faith is of iron. She loves being Catholic. She is so much like me, we think in very similar ways. Though our friendship is new, it is precious. Our minds are like two instruments tuned to one another. Her family is beautiful. They sing together. They love the Lord, and they love each other. Blessed be He for what He has done in them; they have done nothing on their own!
I have been given Lisa. Of her my heart could sing. Her simplicity dazzles me. She is like a child in all that she does, and yet her great maturity makes her the most striking woman. Her faith is powerful, her love as of fire. We are so different. I am always excited to be with her. She always impresses me with something new. Sometimes, I feel I can only stand in awe of her. Blessed be He, for what He has done in her; she has done nothing on her own!
These are the friends who have been most active in my life in the past month. I love all of my friends with fervor. These ones stand on my heart in this moment. For whoever is reading this, know that in a true friend, you will see the love of Christ. It is so beautiful that it makes your heart burn. I'm big on being physical, so I will say my chest actually feels tingly, tight, and hot when I experience this love so freely offered. Do I wish to see the love of my Lord? Do I wish to know even a tiny facet of His love? Let me see Him reflected in my friends. The only prayer worth making for myself in this moment is that my heart would be seared by such love and that with my whole being I would turn to Him. Let my whole being be His, for how far I am from Him! How little I truly desire His will! Truly...I am a rich man.