The Treasure of A Friend

"The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, not the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with friendship."  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Greetings my friends,

Last week I wrote my blog entry and called it "The Brevity of Life", I was considering the death of a family member and the hope that comes from knowing Jesus.  In it I described the uncertainties of this life, and mentioned the importance of expressing your love to those you care about, those who are important to you.  I also mentioned taking the time to visit and spend time with them, not merely having the intentions of doing so.

"Go often to the house of thy friend, for weeds choke the unused path."  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Friendship is something to be treasured and a good friend found is a treasure.

Treasure: 
1. wealth or riches stored or accumulated, 
2. valuable things 
3. any thing or person greatly valued or highly prized, 
4. to regard or treat as precious: cherish.

I decided my writing this week would be short.  To use it as a reminder of the precious people in our lives and how significant they are.  Treasure each day and the good people the Lord has blessed you with along the way.

"A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure."  Sirach 6:14

On Monday evening upon returning home from my Men's Bible Study I received some heart breaking news.  A very dear friend of mine had passed away that morning at his home in Santee, California.  Pastor Jay was a tremendous friend and mentor to me and my family.  Yet, it had been a good while since we last spoke.  My own words from last week's blog came back to mind and my heart ached for the loss.  The loss of the opportunity to express my appreciation for his friendship.  The loss of the opportunity to express my love for this brother in Christ and the example of his witness.
  

"A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but

There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."  Proverbs 18:24

For years now I've told my children to treasure their friendships, not to take them for granted and not to take advantage of them.  When you're young you tend to have a lot of people coming in and out of your life.  Some of these people become good friends, but if you don't pay attention to them and cultivate the relationship you lose touch too soon and the true friendships that might have been are never realized.  

"Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they are meant to be there; 
they serve some sort of purpose, 
teach you a lesson, 

or help you figure out who you are" 

As for me, there are a few men in my life that I consider true life-long friends.  Guys who accept me for who I am and never place any undue expectations on the relationship.  Although we may not see each other for weeks at a time, we seem to pick up right where we left off without missing a beat.  These are the men I know I can turn to for advice, prayer and fellowship, whose company I enjoy and whose loyalty I can count on.  These are brothers who, although they accept me for me, can, if they felt the need, speak into my life or rebuke me and I  would accept it because I know their intentions are righteous.

 "A friend is one to whom one may pour out all the contents of one's heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away."   Arabian Proverb 

I just want to encourage you again to pray for those most dear to you, for their health, safety and spiritual well being.  And, I want to challenge you also, to spend some time in the next day or two and make some sort of contact with those that you love but you haven't told in a while.  Tell them how important they are to you  and what kind of influence they have had in your life.

"A friend is one who strengthens you with prayers,

blesses you with love and encourages you with hope." 

Finally, I want to say this; Brother Jay I truly love you as a friend and a brother and I'm sorry I hadn't told you recently, you will be greatly missed.  For the rest of you reading this; Those I know, thanks for your friendship and know that you are appreciated and loved.  Those of you I don't yet know, thank you for considering what is on my heart today and my prayer is to one day get to know you, if not here then in heaven.

I want to leave you with some quotes from various sources about the importance of friends in our lives.  If you have some thoughts or quotes to add feel free to put them in the "comments" box below.

"Friends always show their love.  What is a brother for if not to share trouble?"  Proverbs 17:17

"Faithful friends are beyond price: No amount can balance their worth."  Sirach 6:15

"Those who live in the Lord never see each other for the last time"  Unknown

"Iron sharpens Iron; so a man sharpens his friend's countenance."  Proverbs 27:17

"Treat your friends as you do your pictures and put them in the best light."  Unknown

"Fate chooses your relations, you choose your friends."  Jacques Delille

"The only reward of virtue is virtue; the only way to have a friend is to be one."  Ralph Waldo Emerson

"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them."  Ralph Waldo Emerson

"One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives."  Euripides

"Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of joy  you must have somebody to divide it with."    Mark Twain

"Thus nature has no love for solitude, and always leans, as it were, on some support; and the sweetest support is found in the most intimate friendship."  Cicero

"Too late we learn, a man must hold his friend unjudged, accepted, 
trusted to the end."  John Boyle O'Reilly

"Do not save your loving speeches for your friends till they are dead; 
Do not write them on their tombstones, speak them rather now instead."  Anna Cummins 

God Bless and Press On

Larry