A Broken Friendship Restored

[555]

Dear Friends,

I am so happy today. I want to share with you all something that happened to me, and that I know it was with the help of our friends midwayers, specially, I am sure, of my companion of many hours, 555.

Since the the days of my youth, when I was still in the Seminary, in Brazil, a great friendship started between me and a then young pastor, called Marcos. He was my pastor first, then my teacher, then my friend... We had good and difficult moments together, he was one of the pastors that celebrated my first wedding, baptized one my children and the one sponsored my coming to U.S. in 1995. However, In the year 2000, my life in U.S. was very difficulty, with raising teenage childen, lack of money and spouse support. In that time, something went wrong with a bank account I had together with Marcos in Brazil that caused him to pay a relative great ammount of money to clean his name in my country. I want to say that I was not my fault, because I had provided the funds for a loan I had made in that account, money that was coming from renting our house in Brazil. But the person in charge to make the deposit, irresponsably used the money for her and didn't make the deposits causing the whole situation without my knowledge. Marcos was furious e immediately broke our friendship. At that time I didn't know the Book of Urantia, I was just a Christian, very much in the business of pride and arrogance... So I hardened my heart and didn't give so much importance...
But some time later, when life became even more difficult with divorce and all, I wanted to restore my friendship with Marcos, since I was needing a friend and didn't feel right about the way we went apart. But Marcos ignored the many attempts I made since 2002 or 2003 to restore our friendship... Every year since I have tried to contact him without success. My last attempt was to write few comments to some articles he weekly writes for a newspaper in the city he lives. I saw them on the internet and I started to comment on them, featureing in my comments, a mixture, of respect, admiration and critique to his opinions. Months went by and there was no reaction from him to my comments... So I decided to ask the help of my friend 555 and I specifically ask him or her, that if possible, make him notice my comments... That was some weeks ago... I had now forgotten.. but today, checking an old email account of mine, there was a thread with his name on it and when I open it, it was an email from him, agreeeing to restart our friendship... My friends, I can't tell you how happy I was when I read the email. After so many years, finally he responded. And then I remmembered that I had asked that to my friend 555 and I know that he or she had something to do with this.
I wonder why took some weeks... I have thought about and I think that, before engaging in an action like that, our friends midwayers have to ask permission to their superiors... but the important is that worked.
Sure, I can't thissay to my friend, because in his view such spirits are demons... a viewpoint that I shared in the past.. but it doesn't matter, I kow that my friends are helping me with my needs.. I am so grateful to them, specially my dear friend 555 who sends frequent prompts just to say hi... and with whom i have communicated throrugh T/R personally. Friends rejoice with me, and join me in my gratitude to God for having finally touched my friend's heart, and do not hesitate to ask our midwayers friends help, they are very resourcefull beings.
I thought I should share this with you...

Love to all

Jose.

[Geoff]

Dear Jose,

That is great news. Perseverance has worked, plus a little bit of help from our friends no doubt.

love,
Geoff

[Sandy]

Dear Jose,

I must admit as I read your post my heart both ached and rejoiced as I have experienced a similar loss. I admire your loving persistence and am very happy for you tonight!

Love,
Sandy

[theunim]

Hi Jose,

I really liked reading your post, thank you for sharing it. I felt happiness, too, for having heard of a friendship repaired. I feel like such happenings are rare at times, so to read of a situation made better is terrific.

Reading your post made me think a bit. I've had a few friendships go by the wayside in the past several years, and sometimes I wonder if it was all worth it for how and when they happened. I honestly thought about it a little bit and even though your experience was quite a positive one, I'm not sure if I should hope the same thing to happen between me and the other friends, but time will tell and maybe there will be opportunities to cure broken relationships, whether in this world or beyond.

Love,
Theunim

[555]

Hi Theunin and all,

Thank you for your comments.
I had friendshps from people with whom I lost contact over the years. In my old evangelical denomination, in which I was ordained, there was lots of politics, and by reasons too hurtful to remember, my ordination and 3 others were object of too much politics... Over that episode, my relationship with other three pastors were also broken. Marcos this friend now returned, was the only one that stayed in our side and who fought for our ordination... Years later, already ordained, I initiated amends with those had been against, inviting each one of them to preach in my church... a courtesy among pastors. Not all friendshipes last a life-time, but I don't know why, I always suspected that mine with Marcos would be one of those. I didn't care to keep lots of other friends in the past, and I have not kept many close friends in the present, but Marcos was the one for whom I always cared. Certainly our friendship will not be the same, as both of us have changed, but I am sure we will find the old common ground to rebuild the cumplicity of the past. I am very excited with this... and I hope that our restored relationship will last until one of us depart for the Mansions and continue in there for eternity...
Jose.

True frinendships are a pure feelings.