Pardners

[Don Adkisson]

     "In the country of the open spaces a man must have sand.  Courage is the basis upon which the others virtues are built, the fundamental upon which he is most searchingly judged.  Let a man tell the truth, stick to his pal, and fight when trouble is forced on him, and he will do to ride the river with, in the phrase of the plains."

                                                                                       --William MacLeod Raine

That term fellowship is thrown around quite a bit nowadays and often very loosely.  Now this is not intended as a word study, but a much better term would be partnership.  I have pardners on the trail of life.  This folk will share a blanket, have the coffee ready when you ocme into camp.  This is the person you can trust with your life and that of your family.  The person who will ride with you in the harshest storm; the one who sits by your bedside during sickness (physical or spiritual).  Yep, he is that person who is trustworthy and can be depended upon to do his share of the work without being asked and you know that when the raft hits troubled waters he will do his part.