Friend

I spent my childhood moving every four to five years. I had many friends over the course of my childhood, but although we shared things in common, none of them quite met my expectations. The friendship that has lasted the longest to date, is with a sweet young woman I met on a mission trip between my freshman and sophomore years in high school. I'm thinking about friends this morning because we enjoyed an evening of fellowship last night with one of the families from our church. It was a last minute deal, and they walked in as my house was all topsy-turvy. You know, the post-Christmas chaos of taking down decorations and trying to find homes for all your new stuff... My house was a maze of "Christmas threw up". ;) My sister in Christ walked in and said, "You don't have to clean for us." Over the course of the evening, we talked about all kinds of things. But I was marveling at how, with this family, I am able to be me. I can confess what a mean, selfish, hard-headed, rebellious child I was-- and often still am as an adult-- and this brother and sister still love me. And I thought of the verse in Proverbs:

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24

As I was pondering that, I was overwhelmed thinking about how IN CHRIST my "friends" really are my sisters and brothers! =)

And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you." And he answered them, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother."
Mark 3:31-35
 
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Romans 8:16-29
 
You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet." Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, "I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise."
Hebrews 2:7-12