You are important to me
"You are important to me!" Has anyone ever said that to you? Have you ever said that to anyone else? If you were invited here today, it is because someone felt that YOU are important and special!
Friendship is a gift. The relationships that develop into friendships do so because there is an investment of time, energy, loyalty, and love. In fact, love is the foundation which the rest is built.
Today we celebrate the Thanksgiving season by being thankful for the gift of friendship. Friends come in all sizes, colors, genders, and ages. You get from a friendship what you put into it. In other words, if you want a friend, be a friend.
Who is that person that you would call if you were stranded at 2:00 in the morning? Who would be the first person you'd call to tell that you were going to be a parent, or grandparent? Or, who would you call to tell that you were dying? Chances are you are that person for someone, and that is a "gift" from God. It carries all kinds of responsibilities and rewards. We believe that is what church should be like--a place to celebrate that good news and mourn the bad news. A place where you feel safe, accepted, loved; where you can be transparent and known for who you really are.
This is what we celebrate today. This is what we are thankful for today--that we can experience relationships like that with people who are traveling with us on this journey called life. These are the moments that have real meaning. These are the people who are very important to us. YOU are one of these people. YOU are a Very Important Person to us, but more so to God. You are so important to God that He gave His only Son for you! THE gift of all gifts, for you, God's Very Important Person!
