Friends are a Blessing!

Barry and his wife, Joy, started coming to our church a few years ago, and when they walked in, I recognised them immediately from school - about 45 years previously! I remembered Barry's name and surname and also Joy's maiden name - and they were amazed, but I always did have a good memory for faces and names!

We became firm friends and for sometime Joy and I used to meet on a Tuesday morning to pray with another friend - a prayer triplet - while Barry and Mr. HCB went off walking, bird watching and observing nature all around them. Mr. HCB knows quite a lot about birds and Barry, as a botanist, is very knowledgeable about the fauna and flora so between them most of nature was covered and discussed in some detail! (And they say, women talk!!)

When they aren't doing that, they do other things such as chopping down trees, putting up fences, shovelling horse manure (yukky, but it does improve the rhubarb!) and generally helping people who need jobs done. They style themselves "Loppitt and Droppit" and whatever they do, they always enjoy each other's company and work very well together.

When I mentioned that I would like a stable to go with the Nativity Set I have made for school, Barry immediately said he would make one - and arrived about a week ago with a "mock up". He then came back this morning to see what I thought of it. After some discussion, he will now go away and make the "real" thing - and I am really grateful to him for doing this. I told him he has 7 months to complete the task, so plenty of time - knowing him it will probably be done within the next month! He says he will also make a box to put the figures into so they are kept safe from year to year. What a great friend!

This song, The Blessing by John Waller, sums up what both Mr HCB and I feel about our friendship with Barry and Joy - they are a real blessing in our lives.