Spend Time With Your Friend
Dear Friends and Family of HBC,
Last June my best friend, Bill, came to stay with me for a few days. Bill and I have known each other since tenth grade so we have quite the history together. I suppose if Bill really wanted to make some money, he could threaten to tell juicy stories about me unless I paid up! And yet, I have plenty of spicy stories I could share about him as well so perhaps I am safe for now.
Bill and I have been through a lot together. Break ups and hearts breaks, losing family members, rock concerts, late nights working at the grocery store, falling through the ice in the middle of February (it’s a long story) and making a last-minute impromptu video for our High School Economics class which earned us a “A” from the teacher.
Spending time with Bill is always a combination of laughing about the past, talking about the present and wondering about the future. Bill and I have a tendency to pick up right where we left off regardless of how long it has been since we last talked.
However, what I enjoy most about my friend is that there is never an agenda we need to follow. We simply enjoy being around each other whether that is talking about hockey or sharing a pizza. Bill is not forced to be my friend; he chooses to be my friend. He knows me well and yet he still wants to call me his friend.
Sometimes I think it is important to remember that Jesus wants to be our friend. Jesus has walked with us for a long time and he knows our stories, even the juicy ones. There is rarely an agenda that needs to be followed and sometimes the best things are shared when there are few words spoken.
It is amazing that Jesus is not forced or coerced into being our friend. Jesus chooses to be our friend. Pause for just a moment and consider the weight of those words – the King of Kings chooses to be your friend.
May I encourage you to take some time with Jesus as your friend? Go for a walk without any agenda other than being in the presence of Jesus. Have you ever considered getting ice cream with Jesus? (Don’t knock it until you try it!) What about looking at clouds and telling Jesus what you see? Don’t think about it too much, just be present with Jesus and see what happens when you spend time with your friend.
Peace and Grace,
Dan
Categories: Pastors Message