Friends

 Im currently in England on a whistle top tour of the country to see some people before Christmas.  My first stop was with Al and Emma who are some of my oldest and dearest friends.  I met Al at University 30 some years ago and Emma was my housemate for lots of years before I got married and moved to Northern Ireland.  It was because of their mutual friendship with me that the two of them met and married.  Our lives are intertwined and our friendships deep and rich with history and life events and growing up together through our twenties and thirties until now.  Today I shall be leaving them and going to meet Matt, my newest friend.  I dont think I was really expecting to be making friendships with 22 yr olds at this stage of my life.  But God moves in mysterious ways  😃

Friendship is important to God.  He called Abraham His friend.  Jesus calls us friends not servants (John 15:15) In His day, friendship would have been understood not only to be a congenial relationship between two people, but an open and honest no holds barred sharing of views and opinions.  Thus Jesus, having shared the truth of the Father with His disciples can call them friends.  And Jesus also says ( and later demonstrates) that friendship is hallmarked by a sacrificial attitude of self to the other.  No man has greater love than this - that he lay down his life for his friend.

''Plain and honest speaking may not seem to us as radical an act of friendship as the gift of one’s life, but it is an essential characteristic of Jesus’ friendship with us. Jesus’ commandment to love as he has loved might feel unattainable were it not for the character of his friendship with us. Because Jesus, in his life and death, his words and deeds, showed and told his followers “everything” about God’s love, his followers’ relationship to the world and to one another was forever changed. Jesus’ openness is a model of how we are to treat one another, but it also provides the wellspring that makes our acts of friendship possible. Jesus’ plain and honest speaking, his full revelation of God’s love, has made human life more holy because he has treated his followers as full partners in his relationship with God. His friendship is more than the model for human love and friendship; Jesus’ friendship becomes the source of disciples’ capacity for friendship. ''  G R O'Day  ( see here for full and really good article. https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/61118.pdf )

When I think of the way my small group of close friends have enriched my life over many years I am deeply grateful to God.  These folk have loved me when I've been unlovable, have put up with my quirks and foibles, listened to my woes, laughed with me at nothing in particular and shared many of my best and worst times.  They have stayed in touch over many years, shown concern and spoken truth to me when they have seen me going astray or struggling.  I know I am loved by them  and that I could call on them day or night and they would be there if I needed them.  And vice versa.    Think about your own closest friendships and what they mean to you.   And now take a moment to realise that Jesus feels like this about YOU!   He calls YOU His friend.  He longs to share His innermost thoughts with you.  He loves hanging out with you, taking trips down memory lane with you, having a giggle with you and holding your hand when life is tough.  I sometimes say to my besties that if any of them ever need a kidney they can have one of mine.  And I mean it.  I wouldn't hesitate.  But Jesus has gone so much further than that.  He has loved us enough to not just offer us a kidney but to offer up His life.

Sometimes I think I fall into the trap of believing that Jesus died for me out of some sort of moral obligation or contractual agreement with His Father.  Or because it was His ' job' as Saviour of the world.   But today I realise again with deep gratitude and amazement that He died for me because I am His best friend.  He knows and and loves me so well.  His heart skips a beat when He sees me and He can't wait just to sit down with me and catch up and find out how I'm doing and tell me whats in His mind and on His heart.    Friends.   Our earthly friendships are mere shadows of His friendship with us.   Hallelujah!

1 Good Thing - a while ago I started propagating baby spider plants from two mummy spider plants I had at home.  I  have brought some with my on my trip to give to people along the way and the first two found homes today with Emma and her sister Julia.  When I gave Emma hers she said '  Oooooh great, Ive been wanting some houseplants!'   😁