God is friendship.

"

"God is friendship . . . It is such a joy to have the consolation of someone’s affection – someone to whom we are deeply united by the bonds of love, someone in whom our weary spirit may find rest, and to whom we may pour out our soul . . . , someone whose conversation is as sweet as a song in the tedium of our daily life.  She is someone whose soul will be to us a refuge to creep into when the world is altogether too much for us, someone to whom we can confide all our thoughts.  Her spirit will give us the comforting kiss that heals all the sickness of our preoccupied heart.  She will weep with us when we are troubled, and rejoice with us when we are happy; she will always be there to consult when we are in doubt.  We will be so deeply bound to her in our heart that even when she is far away we will find her together with us in the spirit, together and alone.  The world will fall asleep around us, we will find, and our souls will be at rest, embraced in absolute peace.  Our two hearts will be quiet together, united as if they were one, as the grace of the Holy Spirit flows over both of us."

Aelred of Rievaulx, 12^th Century Cistercian monk

Photo:  Rosy Paintbrush, American Lakes, Thunder Peak and Lulu Mountain; Never Summer Range, July 13, 2012.  Interestingly, I didn't consciously notice how the two paintbrush flowers perfectly mirror the two peaks until I was in the process of editing this photo!