Closer than a brother

Friday night we had our small group meetings in our church. The group I was blessed to be in was the group with my pastor and his wife along with 5 other wonderful people (several people were missing because of illness or work). The topic of discussion this month was "friends." We discussed what makes a good friend. How do you identify one? What are the characteristics of a good friend. We discussed several verses of scripture that help us to define what a friend truly is.
As a group we agreed that a friend is one that you can trust, one who helps you in time of need, someone who is loyal. A friend is someone who sees your problems as their problems. We talked about how as friends, your relationship can be great, but when trial or hardship comes, that not only tests to see who truly is your real friend, but it also takes those friendships to a new and deeper level. The trial enables your friendship to go to a new depth and have a new sweeetness that you would not have been able to have otherwise.
As we were discussing these things, that I felt I could relate to on such a real level right now...Mrs. Judy reminded us that it is the same way in our friendship with Jesus. Hardship and trial takes us to a new level of love, closeness, and sweetness with our Savior. It takes you to a depth in your friendship with Him that we wouldn't be able to have otherwise.
What a golden nugget of truth and comfort!!! It gives all those burdensome trials so much more sweetness when you think of them in this way.

Well...in the last 8 months I have (yes, 8 months, can you believe it?) I have seen who are my real friends. I have watched as God has used so many dear people in my life to be His care for me, or His provision for me. I have witnessed my friendships going to a depth that they have never known before. As I've walked through the fire these last months I have not been alone. My dear Savior has been by my side in the fire...yes, and my dear friends have stood near helping me each step of the way...wishing that I weren't in the fire...praying for the exit to be near.

Well this weekend, a few of my true friends showed their love for me (and ultimately for the Savior) by their actions and their willingness to serve me. My van started acting funny on Saturday. It was shaking in the most embarrassing way. Every time I came idle, the van would shimmy. There wasn't much I could do until Monday, and I had no other mode of transportation...so I kept trucking along all weekend. Sunday night, when I was about 1/2 a mile from home my van died. AHHH!! One of my worst fears made reality. I'm single. I am alone. Who do I call? How can they help? They have their own families, their own car issues, their own plans, they live so far away...etc. Thank God I was able to get the van started again and get the kids and me home.

When I got home I got a phone call from my friend Ann. Ann was going to watch my kids the next morning because my dear Sarah (Ann's sister) was going to be in Mexico and couldn't watch the kids as usual. She called to talk about the plan and I ended up telling her about my van and I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it to work th next day. After we hung up the phone, she called back a few minutes later. She and her husband had been taking my problem and trying to figure out a solution. They weren't offering suggestions. They were telling me the plan of how we were going to resolve this issue right then... together.

You're not going to believe what happened. Ann's husband, Nathan WALKED to my house (because by this point all of the kids were sleeping). He drove my van to the shop and dropped it off. Then, he WALKED home!!! All so I wouldn't have to wake my sleeping children. Then, I called my dear friend Julie. I knew her husband had just flown out of town on work that day and I wondered if I could use his truck for work the next day. She told me that not only could I use it, but she and her mom were still out and about (unusually late) and would bring the truck to me. They brought it to me at 11:00 that night with all smiles, acting as if it were nothing to have all three of her children out at this time. It was something!

I have friends that today when they found out what had happened they were so sad that I didn't call them to help me. They were truly sad that they weren't able to sacrifice their own time and vehicle to serve me. What friends!! Do you see what I mean? God has not only surrounded me with people during this time that love HIM, but because of that love, they love and serve others. I thank Him for giving me such friends during this season. I could have written 100 blog postings almost just like this over the last 8 months or so about how my friends have served and loved me. And after evaluating the definition of a true friend, I am so thankful that God has surrounded me with genuine kind. Friends that serve, friends that help you, that are loyal, that consider your problems as their own. And if my earthly friends love and care for me in this way, how much more does Jesus love me? He loved me so much that He laid down His very life for me...while I was his enemy.

So my prayer is that not only will my earthly friendships grow to new depths and sweetness of communion through this season and others, but that my friendship with my dear Jesus will do so even more. Would I choose hardship and trial to bring about good things? No. I wish I were that holy, but I am not. I would never choose pain for myself, but the Father knows what is best for His children. He will do what is best for me. And being near to Him in sweet communion is definitely best for me.