Personality Kudos: Part 2, Dear Friend

Dear Friend,

As you got up this morning, I watched you and hoped you would talk to me,
even if it was just a few words, asking my opinion or thanking me for
something good that happened in your life yesterday, but I noticed you were
to busy trying to find the right outfit to put on and wear to work. So I
waited.

When you ran around the house getting ready, I knew there would be a few
minutes for you to stop and say hello, but you were too busy.

At one point you had to wait fifteen minutes with nothing to do except sit
in a chair. Then I saw you spring to your feet,
and I thought you wanted to talk to me, but
you ran to the phone and called a friend to get the latest gossip.

I watched as you went to work and I waited patiently all day long. With all
your activities I guess you were too busy to say anything to me.

I noticed before lunch you looked around, maybe you felt embarrassed to talk
to me, that is why you didn’t bow your head. You glanced three or four
tables over and you noticed some of your friends talking to me briefly
before they ate, but you didn’t. That’s okay, there is still more time left,
and I have hope that you will talk to me even yet.

You went home and it seems as if you had lots of things to do. After a few
of them were done you turned on the TV. I don’t know if you like TV or not,
just about anything goes there; you spend a lot of time each day in front
of it, not thinking about anything, just enjoying the show. I waited
patiently again as you watched TV and ate your meal, but again you didn’t
talk to me.

As you did your homework I waited again, as you did what you had to do. At
bedtime I guess you felt too tired. After you said goodnight to your family
you plopped into bed and fell asleep in no time. That’s okay, because you
may not realize that I am always there for you.

I’ve got patience more than you will ever know. I even want to teach you how
to be patient with others as well. Because I love you so much, a long time
ago I left a wonderful place called Heaven and came to Earth. I gave it up
so that I could be ridiculed and made fun of. I even died so you wouldn’t
have to take my place. I love you so much that I wait everyday for a nod, a
prayer, a thought or a thankful part of your heart. It is hard to have a
one-sided conversation.

Well, you are getting up again and once again I will wait with nothing but
love for you hoping that today you will give me some time. Have a nice day!

Your friend,
Jesus
***************************************************************************************
Ouch! How often am I that person? How often do I go through my day without spending time with my best friend? And how amazing that He is still willing to be my best friend?!

Friendship- true, deep and meaningful friendship is the next trait I discussed with my students. So many friendships are shallow, fair weather friendships and my students often had only experienced these. But true friendship is more than just having fun with each other- so much more. Here are just a few of the things the Bible has to say on this subject:

John 15:12-15 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”

Luke 6:31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

Romans 12:10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Out do one another in showing honor.

Ephesians 4:29-32 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Proverbs 18:24 is my favorite: A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Those friends who stick closer than a brother, the ones who are with us through thick and thin, good times and bad times are rare. They are the ones who can see us at our worst and still love us. They are the ones who love us enough to hold us accountable and tell us hard truths in a loving way. They are incredibly valuable just because they are so rare. My goal is to be that kind of friend and I take my lessons from the best friend of all, Jesus!

Have a blessed day!

May 16 Jesus: Our Companion

Jesus:  Our Companion

One of the names of Jesus that is most precious to me is Emmanuel. This beautiful word means God with Us.  In Revelation 3:20, Jesus tells us, “Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.   If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with Me.” What a comforting thought. I know that no matter what is going on in my life, Jesus is there with me: encouraging me, holding me up when I feel I can go no further, and loving me. The phrase “I will come in and eat with him and he with Me” carried me through a very difficult time several years ago.  My husband told me just before Easter that he wanted out of our marriage.  I was devastated and over Easter weekend went to spend time alone with God at a friend’s condo.  During the trip I realized I had a CD by Selah which I had purchased weeks before and had never listened to.  I played the CD and heard for the first time the song which Josh Groban has made famous:  You Lift Me Up.  There is a line in the song which says that God will come and sit awhile with me.  I literally had to pull over to the side of the road.  Into that bleak time in which I felt utterly alone, Jesus spoke to me through that song and told me every so forcefully, yet tenderly that I am never alone!  To this day I can’t hear that part of the song without crying (indeed, my eyes are leaking right now!)

Have you ever read the poem Footprints in the Sand? This poem is very special to me because I have lived it, as I am sure you have.  In case you haven’t seen it for a while:

I know that there have been many times in my life in which I would have looked back and seen that solitary set of footprints.  Jesus, my Beloved Companion, has carried me through many dark times over the years!

Remember, my friend, that if you have invited Jesus into your life, He is there to stay and even when you can’t feel Him, He is there.  Proverbs 18:24 says that there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.  That friend’s name is Emmanuel!  Rest in His arms when the road is rough and you will find peace.  After all, another of His names is Prince of Peace!

Have a blessed day!

Personality Kudos, Part 2: Dear Friend

Dear Friend,

As you got up this morning, I watched you and hoped you would talk to me,
even if it was just a few words, asking my opinion or thanking me for
something good that happened in your life yesterday, but I noticed you were
to busy trying to find the right outfit to put on and wear to work. So I
waited.

When you ran around the house getting ready, I knew there would be a few
minutes for you to stop and say hello, but you were too busy.

At one point you had to wait fifteen minutes with nothing to do except sit
in a chair. Then I saw you spring to your feet,
and I thought you wanted to talk to me, but
you ran to the phone and called a friend to get the latest gossip.

I watched as you went to work and I waited patiently all day long. With all
your activities I guess you were too busy to say anything to me.

I noticed before lunch you looked around, maybe you felt embarrassed to talk
to me, that is why you didn’t bow your head. You glanced three or four
tables over and you noticed some of your friends talking to me briefly
before they ate, but you didn’t. That’s okay, there is still more time left,
and I have hope that you will talk to me even yet.

You went home and it seems as if you had lots of things to do. After a few
of them were done you turned on the TV. I don’t know if you like TV or not,
just about anything goes there; you spend a lot of time each day in front
of it, not thinking about anything, just enjoying the show. I waited
patiently again as you watched TV and ate your meal, but again you didn’t
talk to me.

As you did your homework I waited again, as you did what you had to do. At
bedtime I guess you felt too tired. After you said goodnight to your family
you plopped into bed and fell asleep in no time. That’s okay, because you
may not realize that I am always there for you.

I’ve got patience more than you will ever know. I even want to teach you how
to be patient with others as well. Because I love you so much, a long time
ago I left a wonderful place called Heaven and came to Earth. I gave it up
so that I could be ridiculed and made fun of. I even died so you wouldn’t
have to take my place. I love you so much that I wait everyday for a nod, a
prayer, a thought or a thankful part of your heart. It is hard to have a
one-sided conversation.

Well, you are getting up again and once again I will wait with nothing but
love for you hoping that today you will give me some time. Have a nice day!

Your friend,
Jesus
***************************************************************************************
Ouch! How often am I that person? How often do I go through my day without spending time with my best friend? And how amazing that He is still willing to be my best friend?!

Friendship- true, deep and meaningful friendship is the next trait I discussed with my students. So many friendships are shallow, fair weather friendships and my students often had only experienced these. But true friendship is more than just having fun with each other- so much more. Here are just a few of the things the Bible has to say on this subject:

John 15:12-15 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”

Luke 6:31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

Romans 12:10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Out do one another in showing honor.

Ephesians 4:29-32 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Proverbs 18:24 is my favorite: A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Those friends who stick closer than a brother, the ones who are with us through thick and thin, good times and bad times are rare. They are the ones who can see us at our worst and still love us. They are the ones who love us enough to hold us accountable and tell us hard truths in a loving way. They are incredibly valuable just because they are so rare. My goal is to be that kind of friend and I take my lessons from the best friend of all, Jesus!

Have a blessed day!

I Believe- A Poem about Friendship

I believe-
That we don’t have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I believe-
That no matter how good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a
while and, you must forgive them for that.

I believe- author unknown
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.

I believe-
That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I believe-
That it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I believe-
That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I believe-
That you can keep going long after you can’t.

I believe-
That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I believe-
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I believe-
That regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there
had better be something else to take its place.

I believe-
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.

I believe-
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I believe-
That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time!

I believe-
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you’re down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

I believe-
That sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.

I believe-
That just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.

I believe-
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had and what you’ve
learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.

I believe-
That it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe-
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.

I believe-
That our background and circumstances may have influenced
who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I believe-
That just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other, And just
because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do.

I believe-
That you shouldn’t be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I believe-
That two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I believe-
That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don’t even know you.

I believe-
That even when you think you have no more to give, when a
friend cries out to you – you will find the strength to help.

I believe-
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I believe-
That the people you care about most in life are the essence of life.
Tell them today how much you love them and what they mean to you.
******************************************************************************************
Oh, so many lessons in this wonderful poem. Since it is entitled a poem about friendship, that is the lesson I want to focus on today. Friendship can be a wonderful thing and it can be a horrible thing. We humans are so fickle and unreliable at times, that friendship almost always involves some pain. We let each other down even when we don’t mean to. Sometimes we have people we love reject us for reasons we can’t even see. But just like that saying about men (you know the one: men, can’t live with them, can’t live without them), a life without friendships is a sterile life, indeed.

We are made to be in relationships. The very first relationship in the Bible is in Genesis when God said that it was not good for man to be alone and because of this, created woman. The Bible has a lot to say about relationships and why they are important. Here are just few:

Proverbs 18:24 NIV
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 13:20 NIV
He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harms.

John 15:13 NIV
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Proverbs 27:17 NIV
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

Proverbs 17:17 NIV
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 22:24-25 NIV
Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NIV
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

Proverbs 12:26 NIV
A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Proverbs 15:22 NIV
Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

If you have been hurt and are trying to prevent this from happening again, I encourage you to open your heart to a select few friends. Read through these verses and look for the character traits God has set up for a true friend and go on a treasure hunt. For true friends are, indeed a treasure!

Have a blessed day!