Hello, Old Friend

There is something about the old that grips us deep in our souls. It moves us in ways we cannot control. We unconsciously cry and hold our breath. It is not until the moment has passed, and we look back to see what affected us.

I love my wife. She bought tickets to Les Miserables to celebrate my birthday. There was anticipation leading up to the day we would see the musical. That is the issue with seeing something popular. One must plan for months. As the time drew nearer, Katie asked me multiple times if I was excited. Each time I did not want to lie. I also did not feel “excited.” The feeling I had was difficult to put into words. What I love about my wife is that she knew the words I was searching for to explain how I felt in anticipation. “Hello, Old Friend.”

It is hard to explain how perfectly these three words fully express my feelings. The word “excitement” shows a picture of the first time and new experiences. “Hello, Old Friend” gives a sense of history and comfort. It is more about the person than the meeting itself. It is more about the story than the people playing the parts. I love the story. I am less concerned with the actors and actresses. They just have to tell the story and not mess it up.

When we meet, all you have to do is be the friend you have always been. I don’t need something more or less. We are friends because I have accepted the best and worst in you. I have already made my peace with all its parts. Like an old shoe, worn down to the perfect fit, and my foot accustomed to the imperfections. 

I believe this has parallels in my own life outside of musicals. I long to feel this way with my Lord. Not a forced feeling but a genuine sense of history and comfort. In our daily lives, we are bombarded with the next new thing. We live for the excitement of another new thing or one more first time. We cast aside the old for the chance at more, not realizing that value does not come from more. 

In pursuing the new, we lose sight of our old friends. Those people and things that touch something so deeply in our souls we have no choice emerging the other side refreshed and restored. The old testament accounts of Adam, Moses, Abraham, and David shows how these men had a personal, genuine, and comforting relationship with our unchanging God—an old friend. They walked with God and he with them. 

I suppose this is a call to be discerning with the new. Take caution with the excitement. Remember the old. It takes time and awareness to strive for a deep, soul-moving relationship with God. Not the surface emotional excitement of the infatuation with a new thing. As I anticipate the time I set aside for the Lord and when I look at his word, I desire deeply to hear the voice in my head softly say, “Hello, Old Friend.”