Persnicketta Again

There are no accidents. You weren't born into your family by chance. Your friends didn't just fall into your life; God put them there for a very specific purpose.

The other night, I was talking to my friend Persnicketta and telling her how much my perspective on life has changed since 2 of my good friends died of cancer in their early 30s. I told her that my life right now can be summed up in Proverbs 17:17: " . . . a brother is born for times of adversity." At this time in my life, I have more than a few friends who are living with chronic diseases. This changes the way I live and the way I think about life.

I was asked yesterday by a young woman at church who knows of my friends' early deaths and my several chronically ill friends, how that all has changed my perspective on life. I was able to answer her clearly and comprehensively only because I had so recently been talking with Persnicketta about that very thing. Persnicketta not only helped me think about my own life, she helped me communicate my thoughts and feelings to someone else.

How have your friends sharpened you (Pro 27:17) and stimulated your thinking?