Flowers, etc.

Last night, I had to bring the regular Monday night meetings with the Iranian singles from the Glasgow Iranian Church to a close. The meetings were going very well, and it has been amazing to watch how these young men have grown over the past several months. However, due to obligations at the church in Kirkintilloch, there was no way that I could continue with these meetings. It was a sad time as I have developed such a wonderful friendship with them. However, we had a great time together last night as we studied the Word of God and shared together. When I said goodbye, more than one of the guys said to me, “Thanks for everything.” It meant a lot to me to hear their words of appreciation.

The Iranian singles also gave me flowers last week. It was a wonderful surprise! They gave me a beautiful boquet of flowers to congratulate me on my graduation. I was really touched by the act as I had never been given flowers before. I had been given a number of other gifts, of course, from people I have worked with, including: shoes, shirts, a big sombrero, traditional African and Mexican outfits, a live chicken, and many other wonderful gifts. But flowers were a new thing for me, and for some reason the gesture meant a lot to me.

However, the greatest gift they have given me is the gift of friendship. That is a gift I hope to continue to share with them for a long time to come. Though the Monday meetings cannot continue, I am sure that we will continue to spend time together when we can and to enjoy the gift of friendship that God has given us.