Forever Friends

I grew up in a small neighborhood with a small group of close friends. We did lots of things that were both fun and spooky. My best friend was Bruce Linnebery. Bruce and I were inseparable. One time we were throwing a broomstick in the air to see how high it would go. Bruce ended up watching the thing land right on his own forehead. He was a little mad for a while, but ten minutes later we were off to do other things.

My friends and I stuck together like glue. We even got to play on a little league baseball team together. Bruce played first, Greg Mite played catcher, and I was our second baseman. We were the three amigos, the Earp brothers, or Moe, Larry and Curly! We would play sports, get in trouble, trade comics and cards, get in trouble, share sodas, get in trouble, build forts, and, as I mentioned before, get in trouble.

Age changes the way we look at friends. For instance, there were no girls allowed in our circle. Girls were strictly forbidden but each of us, at one time or another, had a crush on some girl and would try to bring them into our circle... it always resulted in the girl crying, us getting spanked and the girl never talking to us again, yet we still kept on trying. Today, friendships are a lot more complicated.

In our circle of friends, we have all walks of life. From old to young, and male to female, we cover the gammut. We also categorize our friends. For instance, there are my friends at work, from church, from school, and from the basketball court. There are friends we refer to as just 'acquaintances'; and there is a group of good and best friends.

I have a few friends that share the label 'best' friend. I think it really depends on timing, my mood, their mood, my need, and their need to determine my best friend of the day. Each one of these people I would go to bat for, and they would for me as well. As a song says 'Friends who've cried for me, and friends for whom I'd die for!' these are the people who keep an eye out for you, and will stand with you to the end. My theory is that my best friends are not the ones that are there all of the time, but the ones that are there when I need them most.

There is also that group of 'friends' that we equate to parasites. These are the types that only call you when they need something from you. I associate them with the friends of the Prodigal son or the doctors who couldn't cure the woman’s issue of blood and took all of her money, leaving her broke and sicker than when the process started. This group leaves you disappointed and frustrated and thankful for your good and best friends.

In college, I had a friend who would call me, and the conversation was exactly the same every time. It would go something like: 'Hello Doug?... How are you doing?... That's great! Listen, I was wondering if I could get you to do __________ for me?!'. I'll give the girl some credit though. She had more backbone than most guys I know. Unforturnately, I could rarely turn down people asking for help, and I would reluctantly concede to donate my time.

Friendship is a funny thing. True friends are concerned with giving, not taking. You don't keep tallies any longer because it doesn't matter. You can be separated from true friends for months, years even, get together and it will seem like time has just stood still. True friends scratch deeper than the surface when they ask how you are doing because they really want to know and help if they can. True friends don't expect much, but are just as happy to be around you as you are around them.

I was thinking the other day about what kind of friend I am to God. There are times when my prayers are more like wish lists than true conversations with Him. Sometimes I pray and pray and forget to listen to God's response. When I hear others talk poorly about God, or mock Him, do I get offended, or do I sit quietly with my hands in my ears pretending not to hear the slurs? On the other hand, what kind of friend has God been to us? God has been far better than even a 'best' friend to us. He has stood by, nurtured us, built up our confidence and protected us from the enemies' evil plots.

I have nothing to offer God, but my heart, and He has offered me so much. God's tally sheet is simple: we owe Him everything, and we deserve judgment. There is nothing we can do to earn His love for us, yet it is given freely. Sometime I think we need to sit back and really look at our relationship with God. We also must realize that we can't manipulate God too well: He knows our motives and heart so bluffing isn't very effective. In prayer time, I am trying to make an effort to verbalize my feelings on issues in my life, rather than always asking and thanking God for His hand in my life. I do this with my best friends, why wouldn't I do this with God?

The reality is that all friendships are somewhat lopsided, but that shouldn't matter one bit. We can never repay God for His love, mercy, and grace shown to us through Jesus, yet God is our friend, and He has no tally sheet to those cleansed in the Blood of Jesus. God has allowed us to enter His circle of friends and for that I am eternally grateful.

-Doug