As I sat Wednesday morning looking outside at how dreary and gloomy the day was, I started to reflect on things I had seen, done, and been through in my life. The many, many people who had crossed my path since October 1956 hit me with such force that it nearly took my breath. In over 52 years there had to be thousands of people that I had “met.”
I have met and talked to people of all races, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds. I have come into contact with people ranging from some of the most wealthy to certainly some of the neediest; from the most famous to some of the most infamous; from people at he tops of their fields to the lowest employees found; from the sweetest to the meanest. I have dealt with superstar entertainers to the worst crack addicts in the world. I have shaken hands with dignitaries and fought with criminals. And somewhere in between these are my friends and acquaintances.
The dictionary defines friend as “a person attached to another by feelings of affection, trust, or personal regard.” It defines acquaintance as “knowledge of a person acquired by a relationship much less intimate than friendship.” It dawned on me that I couldn’t remember the names of all my acquaintances, but I could my friends.
True friendship is tough to find, and personally I think we throw the world friend around way too much. We tell each other that we’ll always be best friends but how many times does that actually happen? i would bet that the friends you have now aren’t the same ones you had when you were in preschool, or even elementary school, and probably won’t be the same ones you’ll have in college. The guy that was my best friend for years and I aren’t together anymore because he passed away in December of 2000. He was my Dad. At one point or another, in some way or another, our friends are gonna let us down or be gone, even if it’s due to death.
I do have one friend who has never let me down or disappointed me, or even failed to keep a promise. his name is Jesus. As many of you know my favorite verse of scripture is James 2:23 which is talking about how Abrahams’ faith and obedience gained him the title of God’s friends. It says this, “…and it was credited to him as righteousness; and he was called God’s friends.” It is my longing and prayer that I will gain the title of God’s friend. One day I want to hear God say…”Eddy? Yeah! Ol’ Eddy’s a friend of mine!”
Are you a friend of God’s or are you just an acquaintance?
You guys are in my prayers constantly.
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