My Friend
All my church family are friends. One of my friends at church, is 40 years my junior… and my heart is aching for her.
I will explain why in a moment.
One of our Elders - Curtis - spoke on the distractions of his medical issues that he is presently experiencing. The gist of his message was how he realized that during his Bible reading, a new aspect to a passage he had read many times before, showed him that God’s plan may include his growth using adversity in his life.
I have written, a couple of times, about being preoccupied with something going on in my life only to have the Lord expose me to someone facing a much, much larger challenge. Patrick, in his excellent sermon of Revelation chapter 5, said that he thanks God for his blessing (including asking God to bless people who have done him wrong), before bringing any requests in his prayers.
Now that I have given you the background of both the elder message and the sermon, I can share (a little) about my friend. Last week, I felt compelled to pray for her and after the service was over, I went over and asked her if I could pray for her. I didn’t know what was going on in her life and, quite frankly, it wasn’t any of my business. But I felt compelled to pray for her.
I saw her again this morning and she thanked me and told me how much it meant to her for me to pray for her. I told her that I had a feeling that she needed it but it wasn’t my business to know what was going on. She told me a couple of things that gave me a good guess at what might be going on.
Church had started and the blessings from both the elder and pastor messages had begun. After the service was over, I walked over to give her a hug and I told her that “I loved her.” She replied in the same manner. After I left, because of who I am, I started second guessing whether I should have used those words. I never once doubted the feelings that spurned the words or that they were said in a platonic friendship manner or that her reply wasn’t exactly the same. But after working in the business world, in management, for over 30 years and being male, I second guess a lot of interactions to ensure my intentions can’t be construed in a unintended manner.
It is so refreshing to express feelings of friendship without worrying about misinterpretation and having it used against me. For that, she is among my list of special friends.
“While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’” - Matthew 12:46, 48-50 ESV
“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal;
the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” - Romans 12:3-21
My heart is aching for what she is dealing with and I don’t know what God’s plan is for her (or for me for that matter) but I know that this world is temporary and her (and my) true home is worshipping God forever. Patrick is correct, part of the beauty of the book of Revelation is to remind ourselves that God has already won and we are part of that.
