We've Got Ice Cream. You've Got Fire.

"But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers. " Psalms 55:13, 14

"Hey! We've got ice cream. You've got fire. Can we come over?" That was a frequent question in 2007 from friends Bill & Pam. They LOVED ice cream and bonfires. They'd buy a half gallon of ice cream and we supplied the patio fire in our back yard. We'd spend scrumptious hours licking the last drops of ice cream from our spoons in front of our patio fireplace all summer long with them while sharing the latest news of our lives...from frustrations at work , to heart wounds to praises for what we saw God doing in our children's' lives.

We miss Pam & Bill. Since they moved back to Oregon, we haven't found another couple to take their place. We miss the impromptu visits, the life stories, the laughter, the vulnerability, the honest y we shared. We feel lost sometimes, wondering when God will bring another couple to walk along-side us in life...to share life's journey.

So many times we're looked at as a couple who "has it all together" who "lead by example." But, little do people realize, we need others to help us "have it all together." Bill and Pam helped us do that. In the few years that we had them in our lives, they helped us to see life as it is. We shared our family needs, triumphs as well as our life long wounds. We prayed for each others' healing, victories and shared life as it came to us...weekly...daily. We loved each other.

We miss them. We miss the impromptu calls that say, "I've got ice cream...you've got fire...may we come over for awhile?" We all need Pam & Bill in our lives for life was not meant to be lived alone.

In our new church, we're still looking for our next Pam & Bill. We haven't found them yet. We feel very much alone at times. We wonder if anyone even notices we're there. But that's life in a large, growing church. We must blow our own horn and invite people into our lives, I guess. Or should we? Shouldn't the members of a church reach out to those who are new? Hmmmm?

Until recently, we've remained anonymous. We've spoken briefly with those who sit and worship in our general Sunday morning vicinity. But, have we received an invitation for dinner? Lunch? Brunch? Not as a couple. I've been invited to join a ministry. I've become involved. But, as a couple...nothing. I wonder, as I sit and worship the same Savior, in the same row, in the same church., "What does it take to earn an invitation? What does it take for someone to say, 'I've go ice cream. You've got fire...can we join you?"

I miss Pam & Bill. I miss sharing life with others who 'get it.' I miss sharing life with others who 'get us.'