What Labor Day Means to ME!!!

Labor Day week end. It means different things to different people.

• Celebrate the workers of our great country.
• Traditionally the last official 'week end' to wear white (although I think this one is kind of a 'passed' tradition, many wear white year 'round')!
• The first three-day week end of the school year...
• The beginning of the school year for some.

For my family, this is a week end we look forward to the whole year. Labor Day for us means getting together with dear friends--all together in one place to laugh, visit, pray, laugh and eat together for as long as we can, from Friday evening to Sunday evening...sometimes lingering even to Monday. (not this year, though, we're getting older and we need a day to rest up before returning to real life!)

We started this tradition in 2003. We've moved the destination around a couple of times, bur for the most part, and as with this year, around 40 of us gathered at the Bopp's home in Wentzville, MO, to celebrate our friendship. At one point all of us had lived in the same town, and served at the same church, where some were in paid positions of ministry, and others were in volunteer positions in the same body.

Through a 'blessed tragedy' many had to move away and find positions in ministry in other places...far away places. It was truly one of those things that Satan had meant for bad, but God used for GOOD!!! And, as a way to fulfill His purpose, more than likely, in all our lives!

When this happened, we committed to get together 'officially' each year, and see each other through out the rest of the year as often as possible. Our 'official' time together would be Labor Day Week end. Through e-mails and phone calls, week ends here and there, we've remained close through the years, even though we're separated by miles, and all of us have busy lives with kids and jobs and ministry responsibilities...but there remains this commitment to our friendship, and an unexplainable love we have for each other. Picking up conversations where we left off.

We have raised our kids together and, they range in age from 8 to 25. (Now, Randy & I have grand kids and so, we're on to the 'next generation' of our gathering!) Four of us have had babies 'later in life'! --my husband & I have had three such babies as we 'stopped' having children twice but then, in God's timing, adopted twins, then had a very blessed pregnancy! (oh, what great memories we share--like when we 'first found out we were pregnant'...or 'told each other' we were expecting yet another child!) We've been such an encouragement to each other to depend on God for health and wisdom throughout this journey of parenthood.

These families were great support as we were going through the adoption process for our twins. And then we were able to rally again as one of the other families went through the adoption process for two little girls from Russia about four years ago. Such a bond we've formed throughout the years!

We've celebrated birthdays together, weddings, funerals, and church services together. These friends were among the first to arrive when we lost our Macy and then also among the first to arrive as we celebrated our oldest daughter's wedding a few months later.

This group of friends is founded on our mutual love for God, and a desire to serve Him well, and finish our lives strong in His strength. We've cried, prayed, studied, laughed and talked our way through personal crisis, natural disasters, political and economic mysteries, difficult passages of scripture, reasoning it all in light of God's Word. All of these are either in paid positions of ministry, or serve in their churches faithfully in some capacity. Their personal relationship with Jesus is evident in the way they live and relate to others. These are people that I truly look forward to spending eternity with in Heaven in the presence of our Savior.

We used to weep every time we'd leave each other, as if it would be the last time we'd see or speak to each other. Now, because our friendship has stood this test of time, we no longer weep. I think it's because we remain, thanks in part to the electronic age...but also, because we know that our future is secure. Here or There...we're good!

God is so good to me, to give me friends like these!