A FRIENDSHIP TO BE THANKFUL FOR

I am what is referred to as “English.” I did not come from England, but born and raised right here in the USA. So why, you ask, am I known as English? This is because my best and dearest friend is Amish. The Amish refer to anyone who is not Amish as "English." It is not common for Amish to embrace an English person as a close friend or, for that matter, for an English person to pursue an Amish person as a close friend. So, knowing this, you might ask how Mary and I became so close; you would not be the only one who has asked that question.

I can’t explain it nor do I really understand it, but I do know that God sent Mary to me at a time when I needed not just a friend but also someone who would help me be the best me I could and who would accept me for the not-so-wonderful person I am.

Mary came into my life quite by accident when my husband stopped by to speak to her husband about some lumber. Mary’s husband, Ben, was in the lumber business. It was cold and snow was on the ground. Ben told me to go to the house and keep warm while he and my husband conducted their business. I was greeted at the door by the smallest little lady with the biggest smile and a kind word that put me quickly at ease. I stepped into an atmosphere that I was not accustomed to but that I somehow felt very comfortable in. The wood stove in the kitchen pumped warm heat out and the smell of fresh baked bread filled the air. I was offered warm apple cider and a comfortable chair. Mary sat down and we began to talk. I felt I had known her for years. I opened up to her and she opened up to me; I think it surprised both of us.
I found myself asking questions about the Amish lifestyle and she surprised me by telling me, "I don’t know really; it is just the way it has always been." Somewhat the way I would respond if someone asked me why do I do something a certain way, "It is just the way it has always been. "

This is where it started, and I am not sure how it ended up where it is but I am thankful that it did.

I will not go into long explanations of life’s ups and downs as we all have those moments, but she has been there each time and never offered any opinion or advice unless I came out and asked her to tell me what to do. And then it was always backed up with Bible teachings that also, as a Christian, reminded me that God is always there and we can make it through anything if we trust in him. "If God brings you to it, he will bring your through it," she would often say to me.

Mary broke my heart only once; that was when she moved to another state and left me, At least I thought she had left me, but I soon found out that our friendship survived and flourished even over the miles now placed between us. She was only a phone call away and was there just like always when I needed her.

Not long ago I had to go through some testing for my heart, and it scared me beyond reason. I once again leaned on my friend and she talked to me for over an hour on the phone to help me. That night the phone rang and it was Ben. “How are you doing tonight?” he asked. "I am still scared," I replied. Ben surprised me with his comment, “Would it make you mad if we came down to be with you tomorrow?" This is when I got down on my knees to thank God for there they were, hiring a driver, and driving throughout the night to be here in the morning and hold my hand. When it was all over, they turned around and drove all day to get back home. The time, the money, and the inconvenience never came to their mind; the only thing that mattered was I needed Mary and she was here.

When I told her she would never know what her act of kindness meant to me, she replied...”You will never know what you mean to me”.

For that friendship, I am truly thankful