What a Friend

This was going to be quick. In and out. 

I pulled into the grocery store parking lot. As I searched for a spot, an elderly gentleman shuffled across the lot, causing me to wait as he passed. “Ugh,” I thought. “He’s walking so slowly.” Immediately piercing my impatience and haste, was the voice of God saying, “You want to get old one day.”  

When I finally parked, I noticed that the gentleman had moved a few rows over. He looked lost. Humbled, I prayed for him and walked on into the store.

When I came out with my few items in hand, I noticed that he was now standing right outside the front doors of the store. Time, I noted, was etched in the wrinkles of his face. Seeing his hearing aid, I asked him if he needed something, if he had a ride. He was fine he said, just looking for his wife. He chuckled, saying that she had probably left him. He resisted my offer to call her, saying that there was no need, that he’d call her himself. He thanked me and I walked on to my car. 

As I drove away, the old man was once again approaching the lot. Swinging from one hand was a single grocery bag. And this time, in the other, was his phone.   

So often we wander too. 

We walk and we walk, wandering through the lanes of this life: relationships, ministries, careers.  Days slip into months, months into years as we seek connection with our communities and our callings. We look for family and familiarity, for being and belonging, for purpose and placement.  

We may feel lonely. We may feel lost.  

We walk and we walk, trying to find our Ride.    

We walk and we walk, and we don’t call the Driver.      

And so we keep wandering.

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18 NIV

When I first came to Christ, I prayed all the time.  I didn’t know if there was a right way to do it, I just did it.  I didn’t know how long it should take, I just did it.  I didn’t know if there was a particular, more effective strategy, I just did it.  I just wanted to talk to Jesus, my new friend.  I wanted to get to know Him.  I wanted to share my life with Him.  So…I talked to Him all of the time. 

Time…

As it passed, though, I started to pray less.  Somewhere along my walk with my new friend, I had started to think that there were some things that we didn’t have to talk about anymore. Life didn’t feel too heavy; I was just carrying a few things.  Choosing pride over privilege, little by little, I started to carry life, with all its sins and griefs, on my own.     

But then, the more that I forfeited this newly-found peace for the pain of self-sufficiency, trouble began to show up everywhere. 

Increasingly discouraged, I then began to think, “Where is Jesus?  He must’ve left me.” 

Lonely and lost, I wandered, for far too long.  As I approached each lane of my life, I wondered if this one was mine.  I walked past so many vehicles, praying about some and wondering about all, if that was the ride that would take me to acceptance, destiny, and success.      

Maybe you’ve been there too.  Maybe we’ve walked past each other.

I don’t have it all figured out yet, but as I mature, there’s one thing that I’m learning for sure: prayer isn’t about me imposing my will or my watch on God.  It’s not about me trying to manipulate Him with my silence if He doesn’t do what I want.  Prayer is about our friendship. 

Proverbs 17:17 NKJV “A friend loves at all times…”

Prayer is relationship.  It’s communion through communication.  When Jesus Himself taught the disciples to pray, He started with “Our Father…”  He started with relationship.  The importance of prayer is in not only learning the voice of God, but in also understanding the heart of God.  Because when we do, we won’t misunderstand Him so easily or question His intentions so often.  We’ll trust Him.  We’ll know that He’s coming and that He’s coming right on time.

Proverbs 18:24 NKJV “…But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

When we know God and are known by Him, He can trust us too.  In Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV) He tells us, “Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”  God invites us to boldly petition Him for the earthly manifestation of Heaven’s storehouse.  He doesn’t hold our silence against us; He still answers when we call.  And He’s still patiently waiting to take us to His desired end.  Can we find a friend so faithful?! 

John 15:13 NKJV “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

Through prayer, we have unlimited access to God’s power, provision and promise.  But most importantly, through prayer, we have unlimited access to God’s person. 

Oh, what a friend we have in Jesus!

PRINCIPLE:  ^“You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.  No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.”  John 15:14-15