Leah's best friend and her Goddaughter came to visit us. They hadn't seen each other in about a decade, but you never would have believed it by observing their interaction. There was just a connection and a comfort level that screamed close friends.
But these types of situations and quotes and memes about friendship sometimes make me feel a bit guilty. Time, distance, health, and finances have gotten in the way and kept me from spending as much time as I used to with my best friends. Leah and I used to go see them regularly, and now we don't. I have a friend I have been wanting to meet up with for as long as Leah and I have been together so they can meet, we've talked about it, but never have done it....and we live in the same town. It's crazy. Sometimes there are legitimate things that get in the way, but if I'm honest, sometimes I'm just a bad friend. I know we'll pick up where we left off so I put time together off because I don't feel like sacrificing the time with Leah, or it's a hassle to rearrange my schedule, or some other excuse. And that's fine at first, and then a little while turns into a couple of years since I have seen one of my best fiends, and I feel too guilty about being selfish to just show up and say hi.
I know that if I just get over myself and visit though, that it'll be hugs and laughter and forgiveness for time lost, oh, and coffee and catching up. When I stop worrying about how I may have messed things up and just do what I know I need to do to be the friend I should be, there will be no gaps, no having to earn anything, and no groveling. I'm sorry it's been too long. It's my fault. I missed you, but I got caught up in my own stuff and let life get in the way. Now, what's been going on with you?
And then I think about how Jesus said He is a friend who is closer than a brother. I call my best friend, Clint, my brother, as he does me. His children call me Uncle Dalyn, and his wife is my sis-in-law, even though he's not related to me by blood. Sometimes family is friendship that runs deeper than the relations we're born into. So I understand this idea of a friend who is closer than a bother. Clint doesn't like to text. I hate to talk on the phone. So we don't communicate as frequently as we could. He lives about an hour away, and we don't get to see each other often. But when we do it's just like it's been for nearly 40 years. and if one of us needs to talk, or needs help, it doesn't matter how long it's been. We're there for each other.
When I talk to him, I don't grovel and beg him to forgive me for not calling in a month, nor does he. I don't try to earn the right to have his attention or prove myself, and neither does he. It's usually something like, sorry it's been a while. Been crazy. What's up with you? Or Dude, have you seen the trailer for the new Star Wars movie? Or.... And we're off and running, or rather laughing and talking like we haven't missed any time together. Yes, there is that aspect of if we're such good friends how did the gap that doesn't effect things happen in the first place? Well, sometimes life happens. But that's not the point.
The point is we don't have to prove ourselves to those besties. We don't have to force things, or pretend or feel awkward or whatever just because we haven't spent the time together we should have or could have or would have liked to. But then, if Jesus is a friend who is closer than a brother, why do we treat Him differently than we do our best friends?
We get caught up in ourselves or our lives and suddenly we realize that we've let our relationship with Jesus slide some. We haven't been spending the time and doing the things that we need to in order to have and increase our conscious contact with Him. We haven't been talking and visiting and just chilling together. Now here's where, if it's that best friend relationship we would simply reach out and go, Hey, sorry it's been too long. Missed you! Let's talk. We would approach with confidence that we would be accepted and not judged. There might be some slight nervousness or guilt over letting things slide or letting life get in the way, or wondering if things have changed, but that would be gone in less than a couple of minutes. So why aren't we like that with Jesus?
We approach groveling. I blew it. I'm so sorry. We try to earn favor or attention or the right to come into His presence. We bargain and promise not to blow things off again. We act as though spending time with Him is obligation rather than desire. That's not a friendship. He is King. He is Lord. He is our Master. But He made it a point to call Himself our friend. He wants us to come to Him like He's that friend that's not just family but closer than family. He doesn't want us to come begging and scraping and bargaining and trying to appease. We don't have to try to be good enough, we don't have to try to make up for the time we lost, we don't have to try to excuse or justify or beg for forgiveness. We can just decide it's time to get back in touch and reach out. He's not the Wizard of Oz that we can't approach. He's our loving Creator and our true best friend. Hey Jesus, what's up? I missed you. Let's hang out today.
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