One gift that God gives to us is friendship. Too often, we focus on the times they may disappoint us or, even worse, disagree with us. Heavens!!! How could they? But instead we need to focus on what a great treasure they are to us--what love gifts. Friends are the ones whose presence we miss, and our response is to lift them in prayer that that day they will be immersed in a sense of His presence. Friends are the ones who sharpen us through their encouragement, through the examples they set of faithfulness to others and to Him. Friends are the ones who see us as we are, love us as we are, and gently wait for God to change what needs changing in our thought-life and then in our actions. They are not afraid when we purposefully or "accidentally" reveal to them our many faults. And they are not afraid when they do the same in our presence. We know that the holy love friends have for us--friends given to us by God--cannot be lost, will not be despised, because of His love living and breathing in their hearts and minds. And they know the same is true of us toward them. And we learn to love each other not in spite of but because of. We lean on them; they lean on us. Two cords are stronger than one. We both know that we love each other, and that the kindness of the loving God of forgiveness spontaneously controls our tenderheartedness. Are friends perfect? Excuse me while I look in the mirror and groan at the things that old man has done to hurt those he loves. Do they on occasion "fail" us? Excuse me as I shake my head at my own love failures. But what a joy they are to be sent by Him into our lives so that we would understand His love toward us more deeply. And what a challenge they are to us that God will use us in their lives so that they will always know how deep is His love for them. Friends--what a gift from the God of love that we may spread throughout the world evidence of His genuine, spontaneous, holy love. And what undeniable evidence to the world of what a friend we have in Jesus.
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