Pastor Mark Hopper

By Pastor Mark Hopper

One of the highlights of our 40th Class Reunion was reconnecting with some “old friends”.  During our four years at Dallas Seminary, my wife and I enjoyed making many new friends, but we found ourselves spending more time with two other couples.

We had a lot in common.  Each of us were newlyweds.  Each couple had just finished college and had moved to Dallas from different parts of the country for graduate school.   The wives worked full time while the husbands went to school full time.

Although we each attended different churches in the Dallas area, we made time to get together for dinner or a weekend BBQ.  In addition, we loved to play board games that included a lot of laughter and conversation.

I learned a lot from these two men.  I watched the way they helped their wives and the way they communicated with them.  In many ways our time in Dallas was like an incubator for our marriage and these two couples helped us strengthen our own marriage.

All of us had our first child during our time in Dallas.  We helped one another learn how to be new parents during those busy days.

After graduation, we all went in different directions.  One couple moved near San Antonio.

Another couple went to Iowa.  We went west to Arizona.  Later, one of these couple moved to Louisiana and another became missionaries in Spain.  We moved to California.

Although we kept in touch through the years with Christmas cards and an occasional phone call, we rarely saw each other.  So it was a special opportunity to reconnect at our 40th Class reunion.  We spent hours sharing together and showing off pictures of our kids and grandkids.

The bond we shared during our seminary days was evident by the comments and conversation we enjoyed together again.

In the book of Proverbs, the authors frequently mention the value of friends.  In Proverbs 17:17 it says, “A friend loves for all times.”

Hopefully all through life we keep making new friends.  But, there is something special about “old friends!”  I hope you will take time this week to express your appreciation for some “old friends” in your life.  We’re glad we did.

Pastor Mark Hopper is from the Evangelical Free Church of Diamond Bar, 3255 South Diamond Bar Ave. Sunday services are 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. For more information, call (909) 594-7604 or visit http://www.efreedb.org.