A Good Friend

Emily, Abigail and I went to see Walter tonight in Chandler. He is there training for a new job.

We know Walter from our time at Bible College. He and his wife and their new baby had an apartment in the family housing right next door to our brand new family.

At the time we were struggling and working through job issues, ministry issues, money issues, new marriage and family issues and school issues as were they and we shared these struggles together and became the best of friends.

Walter is an exhorter. Here is the dictionary definition:

ex·hort (g-zôrt)

v. ex·hort·ed, ex·hort·ing, ex·horts

v.tr.

To urge by strong, often stirring argument, admonition, advice, or appeal: exhorted the troops to hold the line.

v.intr.

To make urgent appeal.

In Biblical terms, an exhorter is someone that has a gift of encouraging and lifting someone up in the Lord.

It is always good to spend time with Walter and I always come away from spending time with him encouraged in my walk with the Lord and glad to have him as a friend.

We, as well as they, are still struggling and working through job issues, ministry issues, money issues, marriage and family issues and school issues. The only differences are that the school issues are mostly for our kids and now Walter and his family live nearly one thousand miles from us.