A gift from a friend

In friendship. ... we think we have chosen our peers. In reality a few years difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another, the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting. .... any of these chances might have kept us apart. But for a Christian , there are , strictly speaking no chances. A secret master of ceremonies has been at work . Christ , who said to His disciples, " Ye have not chosen Me , but I have chosen you, " can truly say to every group of Christian friends , " Ye have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another ."
The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating, and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others.
C S Lewis