You Find Out Who Your Friends Are

You Find Out Who Your Friends Are

by Carrie Dedrick, Editor, Crosswalk.com

You find out who your friends are

Somebody's gonna drop everything

Run out and crank up their car

Hit the gas, get there fast

Never stop to think 

"What's in it for me?" 

Or "It's way too far" 

They just show on up

With their big ol' heart

You find out who your friends are

Does anyone know that Tracy Lawrence song? It’s about those situations that we sometimes find ourselves in when we just need help. 

We sometimes get stuck in unforeseen circumstances. Unpredictability is a part of life, but knowing that doesn't make it any easier to deal with. 

This morning was one of those days for me. 

My husband and I are the proud mom and dad of two rescued dogs, a pomeranian and a pomeranian-chihuahua, or as we call her, a pomhuahua. Today the dogs were scheduled to have their hair cut at the groomer so they will be more comfortable with warm weather approaching. The groomer would keep them for the rest of the day in the kennel until we could pick them up after work. 

No problem, right? 

Wrong. 

I had barely sat down at my desk when I got a call from the groomer. She said that my dog suddenly got sick and they couldn’t keep her for the rest of the day as planned; I needed to pick her up right away. 

Remember those unforeseen circumstances I was talking about? 

I did what I had to do. My manager was extremely gracious in the situation, and let me go pick up my sick puppy. He even went as far as to offer that I could take her to the vet if necessary. 

But this story isn't really about the actual circumstance that interrupted my day. It's about what happened afterward. 

First, there was the friend that allowed my dog to stay at his apartment for the day. I called him, and asked if he would take her in (it saved me a long trip home). There was no hesitation at all. Of course he would keep her. You find out who your friends are. 

Then I got back to the office, thinking that I would have a lot of catching up to do after a morning "off." Not so. The other editors had finished almost all of my work for me upon my arrival. They certainly did not have to help me; they all have to pull plenty of weight at the company without the additional load. But they did. You find out who your friends are. 

These generous people led me to think of the kind of friend that Jesus was. He was a friend to the lowest of the low, those that would be considered the societal outsiders of today. Jesus visited the house of Zacchaeus the tax collector Luke 19:1-10 and touched a man with leprosy Matthew 8:1-4. 

God intended that we have relationships including families, spouses, and friends. We form bonds with one another because as it says in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, 

Two are better than one, because they have good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. 

It is interesting that the scripture says a cord of three strands. I take that to mean we should not only have friends physically on this earth, but a friend in our hearts as well. That friend is Jesus, the third strand, the strand that keeps the cord from unraveling.

In situations when we need a helping hand, you do truly find out who your friends are. So nurture your relationships. Give friends the love and attention they deserve, and they will reciprocate. 

Your friendships need nourishment just as the farmer's crops did in the parable Jesus tells in Matthew 13:3-8. Plant your friendships in the good soil of consideration, thoughtfulness, and generosity. Those friendships will blossom into the best of all, the friends who you can call on in difficult times, the friends who genuinely care about you.

Intersecting Faith and Life: You can probably think of a friend that you have not spoken to in some time. Reach out to that person with a simple call or e-mail to catch up. Let that person know that you care about him or her. 

Further Reading

>John 13:34