Friends

A job posted on Craigslist: “$40K a Year to Attend Harvard University as Me.”  Requirements include a 4.0 GPA in high school or a 3.5 GPA in college. Only males need apply, since, as the listing tells us, “I have a male name.” The lucky person tapped for the gig doesn’t have to do much other than “attend all classes, pass all tests, and finish all assigned work while pretending you are me.” Don’t worry about having to actually get into the Ivy League school: “I’ve already taken care of that,” he says. Could you ever call such a person as this, friend? Would you ever buy a friend?

A well-known speaker started his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, “Who would like this $20 bill?” Hands started going up. He said, “I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this.” He proceeded to crumple up the $20 bill. He then asked, “Who still wants it?” Still the hands were up in the air. “Well,” he replied, “What if I do this?” He dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. “Now who wants it?” he asked. Hands went into the air. “My friends, with this demonstration, we have learned a valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It is still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. Nevertheless, no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who love you.” Could you ever call such a person as this, friend? You can’t buy this kind of friend.

The coffee friend I have spoken of several times has been taken from this world due to illness. He was diagnosed with lung cancer and the prognosis was grim - terminal in three months - and thus it was so. I preached his funeral this past Wednesday morning and with the family, committed him to eternal rest in the family plot. Bill is a one of a kind friend I will miss. It is rare to befriend a person who will literally treat you like family and never ask or expect anything in return. We would do anything for one another if asked and trust our devoted time to be worthy. We shared in the core values of what righteous living meant without being too judgmental of others, because we both remember and still pray daily for forgiveness of our own imperfect life. Like me, Bill had fallen in life several times, been crumpled by others, dropped and stepped on, and sometimes made to feel worthless. Neither of us ever gave up, only pressed forward in life. I guess that’s why we could be friends in the best of ways, yet keep out of one another’s business, just be friends and confidants. I’ll miss him for sure, but I have an order in for the Lord to send me another good friend, someone who knows righteous living, one I don’t have to buy.

[Proverbs 27:19] “As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.” ‘“...Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend” (James 2:14-26). “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). It matters not what kind of life we have led or sins we have committed, God will accept us into His kingdom, if we truly believe, repent and obey His commands. God values our souls no matter how “crumpled” we may be. Sins are forgiven in the waters of baptism, forever.