Friendship

Friendship.

Has there ever been one word that brings with it a deep gnawing pain and an incredible sense of joy at the same time? Feelings of hurt flood your mind like flashbacks to a veteran who has not been able to wipe the bloodstains of war from his heart. The delight that fills your entire being can be likened to a mother seeing her newborn for the very first time. This one significant word brings you to reality as you face fear and delight straight-on.

Friend. Yes, it is just a simple word, and with it comes an open invitation to vulnerability and shared life. To see light and love in another. This word brings scars that still remain from past wounds out into the open as love draws me through fear.

Trust me, I know that friendship is not for the faint of heart. It takes guts, courage, and vulnerability. True, healthy, God-breathed friendship will break through fear and failure and thrust our entire being into the realm of virtue and healing. It is through these friendships that we are transformed.

This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father. -John 15