Where and how do we find the friendship of Jesus? There are four ways:

The first is regular, steady Scripture reading. Okay, I know – there's so little time during the day, but hang with me on this. You can't go wrong with the Covenant Home Altar – takes maybe five or ten minutes. You could spare that. In the morning it's nice to read Good News before you pick up the paper. Over time, a portrait of Jesus emerges, showing Him to possess qualities and characteristics you would expect from a cherished friend: loyalty, concern, empathy, compassion, honesty, trustworthiness, a loving heart. He's even willing to tell you some unflattering things about yourself that you didn't want to think about and that I bet not even your spouse would dare bring up to you.

Second is prayer. No matter how much God loves you, there has to be some apprehension, if you are honest about your own unworthiness, in coming to the feet of the Creator with your petitions. With Jesus as your friend, counselor, and intercessor, you may be of good courage. I sometimes just pray directly to Jesus and ask him to pass along my pleadings to God.

Third, find Jesus as your friend among brothers and sisters in Christ. I can't begin to tell you how our Libertyville Covenant family picked us up off the floor time and again when we needed it. We've felt the loving presence of Christ through other believers all over the country.

Finally, to find a friend, be a friend. Pray for opportunities to serve others, to pay back blessings you've received. I'm always amazed at how this boomerang effect works – in attempting to be a friend and provide guidance I'm invariably the one more blessed.

We don't know how this whole process of selling the house and moving up north is going to play out, but we do know it will happen on God's schedule and according to his plan and guidance. The sale will take place as an act of God, not as an act of our realtor or us. We can wait on our friend and guide. I don't even mind the fact that, under a shelf in the southwest corner of our kitchen, Sharon has hung a small, flimsy, lacey, funky, whimsical, Tinker-Bell-style, winged pixie who holds a magic wand, at the tip of which is a tiny sticker that exclaims, "Poof – your house is sold!"