When I was asked to write this blog, the very first thing that popped into my mind was the old hymn, “What a Friend we have in Jesus.” And of course, He is the very bestest friend we will ever have. But the second thought was, “What kind of friends do I have, or better yet what kind of friend am I?”
I have recently read a devotional series on Job. He had some good friends that came to him when he was at his lowest. (Job 2:11-13) These friends were not next door neighbors; they traveled great distances to be with him. And when they arrived, they didn’t try to cheer him up, or straighten up the house, or bring a casserole, or…all things I’ve done for a friend going through a difficult time. No, these friends sat with him in silence for several days. They tore their clothes and wept with him. This teaches a great lesson of what friendship is like. Friendship takes patience.
At my worst moment in life, I, too, had four really good friends who came to me, sat with me, let me talk and cry, and cried with me. The afternoon I told Don about committing adultery, Don took me and my belongings to my mother and left me there. I’m not sure how my friends found out. Yes they were disappointed in what I had done, but they continued to love me. Yes, they had questions, but they didn’t condemn me with those questions. We live in a small town, and in a small town, everyone knows everything about everyone’s business. And most people like to share their opinions on that business. But these friends stayed beside me after Don brought me back home, and in the days, weeks, months, and even years following continued to show their love and support and to help Don and I to heal, grow stronger in our faith and marriage. Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” My friend’s example in a very difficult time has been a huge lesson for me. I don’t have to be the fixer for a friend in need, I just have to be a friend!
My little granddaughter is…well, she’s my granddaughter so you know what I’m going to say-she’s perfect. But actually she’s not. You see, Livi doesn’t have toes on her left foot. And she only has 2 toenails on her right foot. When Mary (my daughter) was pregnant with Livi, part of the amniotic sack flaked off in a string and wrapped around her toes. She has nubs on her left foot. (Toes are like fingers-she has the knuckles closest to her foot like the knuckles on a hand but that is all). When she was born, we were so worried she might not be able to walk, or she would be in pain, but we were wrong. She walks, runs, jumps, kicks, and dances like every other kid. But I wonder about what kind of friends she will have growing up. Kids can be curious and cruel at the same time. When she has shoes on you can’t tell a difference. But what will happen when she takes her shoes off? How will the kids treat her? We, her family, treat her like any other kid; it’s not an issue. But will her friends treat her differently? don’t have the answers to these questions, but I know who does. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.”
What about us? Do we stay by our friends when things look different from what we expect? Do we sit with our friends in their times of distress and tear our clothes and weep with them? Do we hide our flaws in our “shoes”? Do I? These are questions we need to think about regarding the friends we keep. I read a quote one time (I don’t remember who said it) “A friend is one of the best things you can be and the greatest thing you can have.”
We want to thank Hope Warren for sharing this post.
Women's Ministry 