Jack used this quote in a recent post to his blog, Jack’s Winning Words – “Let’s face it, friends make life a lot more fun.” – Charles R. Swindoll
Actually the quote Jack used was quite a bit longer; but, I chose to use only the last sentence.
If you substitute the word companions for the word friends in that sentence you will be closer to what I’m thinking while writing this piece. Companions is more inclusive term that allows spouses to also be referenced better than just the word friends.
Man is not a solitary animal; at least not most men (women). There are examples in the wild kingdom of animals that prefer to be alone (albeit not in the mating season), but even the animal kingdom, there are more examples of animals that prefer to be in groups, packs, prides, gaggles or whatever they are called for their species. In most of those cases, they also interact with each other in helpful ways that go beyond just socializing – perhaps grooming each other or caring for the young of other members of the group.
For us, as humans, having companion gives us someone to share things with, both good and bad. For us, joining in on a victory celebration or offering a shoulder to cry upon is a natural part of life. We like to share the good things in life – a good joke, a promotion at work, the success of our team, the victories of our children. We also seek out a companion to share the bad things with – a death in the family, the breakup of a relationship or being laid off at work. We seek someone to share with.
How much less fun, or more miserable, life would be if we didn’t have someone to share those good and bad moments with. That’s part of what we sign up for when we take wedding vows – “through good times and bad”. As I look back over my 53 years of marriage the thing that comes to mind are all of those moments of sharing with my life companion – the many good times and the few bad ones. How desolate my life would have been had I not had someone to share with.
If one is deeply introspective, another thought that comes to mind is that we are never really alone. God is, always has been, and always will be there with us. I think of the times that I was physically alone or away from my life companion and something happened that I needed to share. Who did I turn to? God was there to share the good times and to comfort and reassure in the bad times. I am guilty of not giving Him enough credit for the good times and perhaps turning too late to Him during the bad; but, He was always there when I needed a companion. He was someone I always knew that I could share with.
So, Swindoll was right. Friends (companions) and God make life more fun. They give us someone to share life with.
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