Ben and Sue Day 13

Day 13, Wednesday, September 19, 2007

. . .We finally made it to Newton Iowa to visit old and dear friends Jeff and Bev Lloyd and their children and grandchildren.  All I can say is that if fellowship is this sweet on earth I can hardly wait to get to Heaven!

. . .Ben and I have known Jeff and Bev since 1983 when Jeff was in the Army in Germany.  Ben was in the Air Force at the same time and at a nearby base in Germany.  We all went to the same church together -- Faith Baptist Church.  Bev and Jeff left to return stateside in 1984 and we followed in 1998.  They were attending Shorecrest Baptist Church in Seattle which is where Ben wanted to retire because the rest of my family lived close by in Tacoma.  They lived in Seattle for about 9 years during which time all four of us were sweet dear friends and did nearly everything together.  We joined that church they were attending and so not only were we all good friends we enjoyed awesome fellowship in the Lord/in our Christian faith.  Jeff Lloyd taught Benjamin in Sunday School when Benjamin was about 8 years old.

. . . But they moved back to Iowa 11 years ago and perhaps I never have fully recovered from that sad sad farewell.  So here it is 11 years later . . . oh the children (7) have grown and some have married and there are grandchildren.  But after only a short time in talking I felt as if nothing had really changed.  Like we were all  back in Seattle again enjoying a meal around the dining room table -- only this time it was Iowa instead of Seattle.

. . . Jeff and Bev invited all their children and grandchilden to  enjoy a delicious meal and then dessert.  It was an evening of rich conversation, hearty laughter, memories being made, many stories re-told, catching up on our families lives -- beautiful in a thousand ways.  I'm not saying it is not possible to enjoy such sweet/rich/deep fellowship without the Lord Jesus.  I just never remember such deep/sweet friendship and fellowship before I got saved.  It is good to have known the Lord as common ground.

. . . As I go to sleep tonight I feel overwhelmed with joy.