Chasing Squirrels -- A Tribute to Friendship

Every time I look at this photograph*, I smile, because it reminds me of some very special people. 

This picture reminds me of my friend Jean. She and I are hunting the squirrel of publication together. We’ve can see it, far above our heads. It’s close enough to smell, and we’ve made a pact. If it makes a move in her direction, I’ll do everything I can to chase it her way. If it runs toward me, she’ll do the same. Either way, this critter's not getting away. 

This picture also reminds me of my friend Charlotte. She and I stood together at the foot of the tree of higher education and watched our baby girls begin to climb. We challenged each other to pray for them every day. From our commitment, a mom’s prayer group was born. We’re still meeting, eight years later, to pray for God to work in our adult children’s lives. 

This picture reminds me of my husband, David. Total opposites, but partners for life, we work, play, and pray together. Notice the wagging tails. He makes sure I don’t forget to play. Notice the focused gazes. I make sure he doesn’t forget to work. With him, life’s chase is so much work and so much fun, all at the same time. 

This picture reminds me of my friend Maryann. Together we’ve bumbled our way through homeschooling, child rearing, and now grandparenting. She has the great ideas. I figure out how to make them work. Together we’re a strike force. Apart, well, let’s just say we struggle. She’s also a lightning rod for bizarre events and dramatic answers to prayer. If this picture was a true representation of Maryann’s propensity to attract the unexpected, the next frame would show an armadillo, not a squirrel, dropping out of the tree. 

This picture reminds me of my friend Mandy. When she and I partner up, I know the plan will be strategic and well-executed. She’s committed to excellence and integrity. And I know that if we have to pray that varmint out of the tree, she’ll be ready, day or night. 

This picture reminds me of my friend Heather. If there were speech bubbles above the dog’s heads, hers would say, “We can do this. God will help us. We thought it was a squirrel, and it turned out to be a cheetah, but with God on our side, we’ve got this.” 

Proverbs 27:9 (MSG) says, “A sweet friendship refreshes the soul,” and it is true. 

If you have a friend who is a gift from God, why not call her or send her a message today? Let her know how much she means to you and how thankful you are that she’s your buddy. Then plan the next adventure. 

Together. 

I'd love to hear about your special friend. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts. If you're reading by email, click HERE to visit Hungry for God online and leave a comment. 

*A special thanks to my friend, Joanne, who shared the lovely picture of her dogs, Gavin and Sasha, that inspired this post.  

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Friendship Shows Itself in Unusual Ways

Some of the "besties" God has blessed me with

Friendship shows itself in unusual ways. 

One friend of mine, a nurse, recently demonstrated her love and care for me by presenting me with a pair of compression socks. I’m preparing for a trip that will involve 24 hours of driving over some 1,200 miles. She was worried about me. 

“Nurses wear compression socks all the time,” she said, “they help prevent clots and make your legs feel so much better.” I’ve always associated compression socks with surgery and senior citizens (no offense to you senior citizens), but these were not your grandma’s compression socks – they’re black with rainbow-colored polka dots. I can’t wait to wear them. 

Another friend, my neighbor, heard I’d had a hard day. Meet me at the fence, she texted. We pass everything over our backyard fence – samples of new recipes, extra onions, garden fertilizer. 

But this time she handed me half a slice of pound cake someone had shared with her. It was still warm. And she gave me the best half – the top, with that amazing crust. Now that’s love. 

My best friend in college pulled me aside one day to inform me that half the girls in my class were angry at me. I’d been lazy and had neglected my duties in the dental clinic, and they were righteously indignant. 

She could have joined in as they griped and complained about me, but instead she did the hard thing. She confronted me, in love. I was mortified. That evening I wrote notes of apology and taped one to each girl’s locker. 

No one ever mentioned the incident again, but I learned two lessons. First, pull your weight and work hard. Second, being a friend sometimes means saying hard things. 

This year I’m reading through the Bible again. I just read about David and Jonathan. Although they should have been enemies, pushed apart by jealousy and rivalry, instead they were friends from their first meeting. 

First Samuel 18:1 describes their relationship: “After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.” 

Like my examples above, David and Jonathan’s friendship was characterized by love, generosity, and loyalty. They enjoyed each other’s company and doing things together. They gave willingly and generously. They stood by each other during dark days. 

I hope you have at least one friend who loves you like herself. If so, I encourage you not to take her for granted. It’s easy to allow the pace of life to keep us from cultivating our most meaningful relationships.

June 8 is National Best Friend Day. Why not make plans now to do something special with that friend who makes your life smile? 

And what if you don’t have a David/Jonathan-type friendship? Pray. Ask God to give you one. Then watch for opportunities to show friendship to others. Look for chances to serve rather than be served.  Proverbs 18:24 (NKJV) reminds us, “A man who has friends must himself be friendly.”

Remember that 24-hour, 1,200-mile road trip I’m planning? I’ll be traveling to attend my dear friend Debbie’s wedding in Delaware.

Debbie and I became friends ten years ago when she was a new member of our Sunday School class. Hearing that she had just had knee surgery, I volunteered to bring her lunch. 

As we visited, we discovered a mutual love for God and his Word. Our hearts have been knit together ever since. 

If suspect that if I hadn’t stepped out of my comfort zone to serve someone I didn’t know well, Debbie and I might never have become friends. 

That’s a sad thought. Over the past 10 years we’ve served, prayed, laughed, and ministered together. My life is richer because I know her. 

What about you? Do you have a treasured friend? What makes your friendship special? Leave a comment below and share your story. If you're reading by email, click HERE to visit Hungry for God online and leave a comment.

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What Kind of Friend Are You?

 “Here, Caroline, stand on this so you can reach. That way, I can use the chair.” 

These were not the words I wanted to overhear when I discovered my 3-1/2-year-old granddaughter and her 1-1/2-year old sister playing alone in my office. As I peered around the corner, I had no idea what they were up to. 

Friendships, like the one between my two granddaughters, can be positive or negative. The relationship between David and Jonathan, described in 1 Samuel 20, is a classic example of a positive, godly friendship. 

The men shared wise counsel, protection, and possessions. First Samuel 18:4 records that Jonathan loved David so much he gave him his robe, tunic, sword, and belt. Men sharing tools and weapons? Now that’s a deep friendship. 

Jonathan repeatedly defended David at the risk of angering his father, King Saul, and endangering his own life. Although it would ultimately cost him his position as next in line to the throne, he affirmed David’s calling to the kingship and pledged his loyalty. Most important of all, the men encouraged each other in the faith. 

“May the LORD be with you as he has been with my father,” Jonathan said, blessing David (1 Sam. 20:13). 

Second Samuel 13 records another, very different story of friendship, this one between King David’s son Amnon and his cousin Jonadab. Scripture tells us that Jonadab was “a very shrewd man.” Now shrewd can be good, but in this case, shrewd was bad. 

Amnon had a problem. A big problem. He had a major crush on his half-sister, Tamar. Amnon was so besotted with Tamar that he couldn’t eat or sleep. This obsession began to take a toll on Amnon, to the point where his good friend Jonadab noticed. 

“What in the world is wrong with you?” he asked. “You look awful.” 

Frustrated and beside himself, Amnon confessed his infatuation with his half-sister. If Jonadab had been a godly friend, he would have called Amnon onto the carpet. 

“Are you crazy, Amnon? The sun must have baked that brain of yours. Too many camel rides in the desert. Put that ridiculous notion out of your head, and let’s talk sense for a moment. I know she’s beautiful, but she’s your sister. And have you noticed? She’s your SISTER. And if that’s not reason enough, did I mention that she’s YOUR SISTER????"

Instead, Jonadab failed in his friendship and helped Amnon devise a horrible plan. Playing on his father’s trust and his sister’s kind nature, Amnon lured Tamar into his bedchamber, overpowered her, and raped her. 

As quickly as Amnon’s lust had flared, his “love” for Tamar disappeared, and he sent her from his house in disgrace. Tamar never recovered, spending the rest of her life “a desolate woman.” 

The tragic events of 2 Samuel 13 describe a friendship that had the power to prevent a horrible, heinous crime. Instead, it set in motion a series of events that left Tamar destroyed, Amnon dead, and Absalom, Tamar’s brother, guilty of murder. 

In light of these conflicting stories of friendship, we would be wise to examine what type of friend we are. 

Do we demonstrate loyalty, courage, and humility toward our friends? Do we speak up for them even when it costs us something? Are we more concerned about their successes than our own? Do we share sacrificially and generously? Are we brave enough to warn them when we see them walking a destructive path? 

Then we are the type of friend with whom God is pleased. 

Perhaps, however, we haven’t been a Jonathan-type friend. Maybe we’ve been more like Jonadab. 

We’ve dismissed the warning signs that something’s not right. Instead of holding our friend accountable to God’s standards, we’ve looked the other way. Or worse yet, we’ve partnered with them in activities that dishonor others and the Lord. Instead of a rock of refuge, we’ve been a stumbling block. 

My granddaughters' visit and the contrasting stories from 2 Samuel remind me of the joy and the responsibilities of friendship. 

As I peeked around the doorway where the girls were playing, I discovered that big sister Lauren had helped little sister Caroline reach the desktop where she was happily scribbling on a Post It note. Lauren was sitting in front of my antique typewriter happily pecking away. Their friendship and camaraderie was sweet and innocent. 


Today is a new day, filled with many opportunities to be a positive force for good in this troubled world. As we interact with the friends God has brought into our lives, may we be quick to “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24). 

Now it’s your turn. Do you have a special friend who has faithfully encouraged you to make wise decisions and stay true to the faith? Leave a comment below and tell us about them. 

For a little musical encouragement, I know you'll enjoy the song, "Prayer for a Friend," by Casting Crowns. If you're reading by email, click here to listen to "Prayer for a Friend."

  

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How to Be Happy

What we read and watch on the internet can make our hearts soar. 

It can also make our hearts weep.

Mine did both recently.

Logging onto my email from a remote computer, I watched MSN’s top news stories scroll by. A headline from Examiner.com and its accompanying photo caught my eye:

Paris Jackson happy with boyfriend Chester after pregnancy talk, suicide attempt.

Happy, according to the Examiner, is a 17-year-old girl with pink and black hair accepting an open-mouthed kiss from an 18-year-old Mohawk-sporting, wife-beater-shirt-wearing soccer player from a “family of means.” In a hotel bathroom, no less.

The article expressed delight that Paris, who had attempted suicide in 2013, looked “happy, healthy, and gorgeous.”

My heart wept for Paris.

Also in my news feed was another story, this one about another teenage couple. They, too, looked happy, healthy, and gorgeous. The Atlanta Journal and Constitution’s headline read:

Quarterback fulfills 4th grade promise, asks childhood friend with Down syndrome to prom.

The photo showed a tall, clean-shaven young man in a dark suit holding the hands of his prom date. Dressed in a stunning lavender floor-length gown and sporting a wrist corsage, the young lady smiled demurely, too shy to meet his happy grin.

Ben Moser and Mary Lapkowicz were friends in fourth grade when he promised, someday, to take her to the prom. Eight years later, he made good on his promise. 

Commenting on his decision to take his Down syndrome friend to the most important event of the year, Moser said, “There shouldn’t be a barrier between someone who has Down syndrome and someone who doesn’t. You should just be who you are, and do what’s right. Simple,” he said. 

Simple indeed, Ben Moser.

A wise man once said, “Your life is the sum of the choices you’ve made.” I couldn’t help contrasting Paris Jackson’s choices with Ben Moser’s.

At the end of the day, who do you think was really happy?





Here's a video clip of prom day. If you're reading by email, click here to view the video.






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I Want Jesus to Walk With Me

"I want Jesus to walk with me,

I want Jesus to walk with me,

All along my pilgrim journey,
Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me.

In my trials, Lord, walk with me;
In my trials, Lord, walk with me;

When my heart is almost breaking,

Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me.

When I’m in trouble, Lord, walk with me;
When I’m in trouble, Lord, walk with me;

When my head is bowed in sorrow,

Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me."

It is a haunting song, a Negro spiritual, aching with the realization that when the world is stripped away and all that we trust and depend upon is gone, God is not.  He "became flesh and dwelt among us." He walked the earth in identification with our humanity. He became "a man of sorrow, acquainted with grief."  He is  our high priest willing to be touched with our infirmities. He was a man who wept at the grave of a friend, a man whose heart was broken by a traitor's kiss.

Underground Railroad heroine and former slave Sojourner Truth's holy path birthed the words.  African American composer Moses Hogan created the arrangement. Christians everywhere echo its cry.

"I want Jesus to walk with me."

To hear a most beautiful rendition of "I Want Jesus to Walk with Me, CLICK HERE:

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