The Mystery & Minstrel: Musings on God and Life

 Lost Paperclips 

By Susanne Scheppmann

Key Verse:

 “The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.”

(Proverbs 27:9 NLT) 

Devotion:

What happens to paperclips? 

I buy paperclips in boxes that are filled to the top with the tangled metal curlicues. I place them in a magnetic dispenser. I use them one at time to clip papers together. When I am finished with the papers, I remove the paperclip and put it back into the container. They shouldn’t need to be replaced. However, within just a few weeks, I am back to the local office supply store to purchase more paperclips. Mine disappeared somewhere. Poof! They’re gone. (It’s like losing socks in the dryer.)   

Sadly, friends can disappear like paperclips. Sometimes, I realize that I have lost a friendship connection. My life became busy and I neglected to nurture the relationship. I find our hearts have drifted apart. Unfortunately, I can’t run down to the friendship store and replace valuable relationships as easily as I do my paperclips.

As I study my Bible, I see how Jesus valued His friendships. He ate with friends. He traveled with them. Christ developed His ministry with friends by His side. And, Jesus served his friends with love and humility. 

So, I ask myself, “What can I do to insure I do not lose my friends like I lose paperclips? 

The answer is to do what Jesus did. 

• Invite a friend over for dinner
• Plan a trip together
• Decide how we could work together in our community or church
• Serve my friend out of love and humility

Friendships are invaluable. Let us challenge ourselves to follow the example of Jesus. Let’s clip ourselves to our friends for a lifetime of fellowship.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You knew the value of friendship while You were here on earth. Your friends included people from all walks of life. Remind me how important friendships are in this life. Help me not to lose those important connections in life that will add love and joy to my dreariest days. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.

Application steps: 

Check through your address book. Are there a few friends whom you should call or write a note to this week? Make an effort to meet with a girlfriend this month. Choose to keep your friendships close to your heart.

Reflections: 

Am I too busy for girlfriend time?

Do my friends feel valued by me?

What can I do to create deeper friendships in my life?

Power verses:

Proverbs 27:10, “Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father, and do not go to your brother's house when disaster strikes you--better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.” (NIV) 

Ecclesiastes 4:10, “If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (NIV) 

Hebrews 10:25, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (NIV) 

© 2007 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.