Love & Friendship

A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in two tours of duty.

He called his parents from San Francisco. “Mom and Dad, I’m coming home, but I’ve got a favor to ask. I have a friend I’d like to bring with me.” “Sure,” they replied, “we’d love to meet him.” “There’s something you should know the son continued, “he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mined and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us.” “I’m sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live.”

“No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us.” “Son,” said the father, “you don’t know what you’re asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can’t let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He’ll find a way to live on his own.” At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him.

A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn’t know, their son had only one arm and one leg.

The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don’t like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren’t as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are.

Thankfully, there’s someone who won’t treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.

Tonight, before you go to sleep for the night, say a prayer that God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are, and to help us all be more understanding of those who are different from us!!!

There’s a miracle called -Friendship- that dwells in the heart. You don’t know how it happens or when it gets started. But you know the special lift It always brings and you realize that Friendship Is God’s most precious gift!

Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.

To Be Free from Fear

1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he that fears has not been made perfect in love."

I don't remember where it started, but for most of my life, I lived with fear. Fear of the school bully. Fear of not being accepted. Fear of dogs. Fear of failure and fear of success. I remember one incident that illustrates the foolishness of fear. There was a time when I was a paper boy, delivered the Chicago Sun Times in the morning and the Herald in the afternoon. Lived in a small neighborhood on the south side of Chicago and I would begin my route before the sun rose. One morning, as I was beginning to approach a house, I saw a shadowy figure crouched in the corner of the front lawn. The sun was just beginning to crest above the horizon. I froze. Fear gripped my heart. I stood as still as I could, waiting for him to move. After about three minutes, the sun came over the horizon enough for me to see that this menacing figure was really the silhouette of a bush. I felt stupid.

This is exactly the strategy of Satan. The Bible says that a fearful man runs when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are as bold as lions. Satan's primary weapon is intimidation. If he can get you into fear through circumstances, then he will stand back as you sabotage yourself. The only cure for fear is love. When you become convinced that God loves you and is for you, then fear will be replaced with confidence and boldness. It is perfect love that casts out fear, and God's love is the only love that is perfect. I don't know what you are afraid of, but I do know that His love is greater than your circumstance. Today, meditate on the greatness of His love for you. Allow His love to drive out the fear and let you enjoy His peace.