Friends.

Monday, October 25, 2010
Friends. I’ve had a tremendous weekend. It’s been tiring, I’ll admit. But it’s been wonderful. Friday night’s trip to Hot Springs for the Casting Crowns concert with the students from church and our volunteers was great. Follow that up with an early morning breakfast with my church family Saturday morning, followed by time at a friend’s, a cookout with my family, and a trip to a “haunted hayride” with 2 of the best friends a guy could ask for. Top all that off with another great Victory Sunday and you’ve got a superb way to spend a weekend. And it’s got me thinking about what real friends are.
I’ve had a few fair-weather friends at times in the past. You know what that means, right? Those are the folks that pat you on the back when everything’s going well, but as soon as times get hard or they find an opportunity to jockey for power the friendship is seemingly over. Suddenly the folks you’ve trusted in times when you just needed someone to talk to are using that very trusted information for their own benefit. That stings, a lot. But you learn from that, and you gain a little more knowledge of what real friends are.
I’ve had a few self-centered friends at times in the past. These are the folks that refer to themselves as your friends, but it’s really all about them. When you’re hurting, they are rarely seen unless they can be seen when others are around. In the dark of the midnight of the deepest valley of your existence, they’re nowhere to be seen unless there’s some applause to be found. And, again, it just shows you the lack of real friendship that exists there.
But then there are the real deal friends. The folks you just love to be around, whether you’re up or down. If you feel like conquering the world you want to do it with them. But if you feel like burying your head in the sand, you want them to help you dig the hole. That’s a real friend. And God has so richly blessed me with friends such as these in my life.
I know I seem to say this all the time, but one of the greatest blessings God has ever poured out upon my life was allowing me the awesome privilege of serving Him in ministry at Victory Baptist Church in Cabot, Arkansas again. Mondays tend to be a time for me to stop and reflect on His goodness to this church family on the previous day, and today is no exception. You see, I get to worship with friends – real friends. These are folks that really get what it means to love. I’ve even commented in recent days about the fact that when you walk into that place on Sunday you can literally feel the joy and love in the air. And it’s true.
So today, if you’re reading this and you’re one of these friends I’ve mentioned, pat yourself on the back for me, would ya? You deserve a little thanks. And for the rest of us, may we all strive to be the best friends the world could ever dream of, pointing folks to Jesus by showing them what kind of love He has for us. Truth is, He’s the best Friend you’ll ever have.


That’s just a thought, and I welcome yours.
Until next time,
blake

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