“There are ‘friends’ who destroy each other,
but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.”
– Proverbs 18:24

The high school reunion brought back a wave of memories. The years instantly melted away as old friends picked up where they left off nearly fifty years ago. Time has a way of making you wonder if things actually happened the way you think that they did. As we relived the stories, it was reassuring to know that the “facts” were verified by others. There really were only seventeen players on the football team our junior year and Mike actually did make two bare-handed stops on consecutive plays while pitching in a playoff baseball game our senior season. The friendships are still strong though most of us are a few pounds heavier and sporting mostly gray hair or in some cases, no hair at all. Bonds that were built on the fields and courts so many years ago were built to last. Friends forever!

We are blessed indeed if we have one true friend! We need someone who will stand with us in the good times and the bad. It’s important that we have that true friend who will always be there to listen and offer help in our time of need. I’ve always heard that in order to have a good friend, you must be a good friend. That’s pretty good advice. This world is full of lonely people who are in desperate need of a good friend. If we take the time to look around, God will reveal those people to us. The greatest message we can share with our friends is that we all have a friend in Jesus. He is always there to listen, He is always there to comfort us, and He is always there to give us hope. Friends forever!

Thank You Father for the friends You have put in my life. Help me to be a true friend to others today and to know that You are always there for me. Amen.