Let's Be Friends

What is the true meaning of the word: friend? I have to say that not too many people know the answer to that question. Oh yes, we may think that we know, but let's take a moment to sit back and evaluate the real answer.
When I think of the word, FRIEND, I am often reminded of Jonathan and David. Their friendship depicted what friendship really is. Not only were they closer than brothers, they were selfless in their actions. I think mainly David really knew the meaning of true friendship. It is said in the Bible that the "soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David." I don't really think that you need to see the person to be a friend. It is really our soul that retains the friendship. Our spirit can speak to someone miles away even if our bodies aren't in the same room.
When I look at the relationship of David and Saul, I see that David chose to be Saul's friend even though it was Saul's main intent to kill him! Imagine showing friendship to an assassin! David had many an opportunity to kill Saul, but instead, he chose to show the meaning of true friendship and respect. To be a friend, you don't expect anything in return. Surely, David knew that there was nothing in it for him with the friendship he had in his heart for Saul. It didn't matter to him because it wasn't about being promoted or even being left alone so he wouldn't have to constantly run for his life! It was deeper than that. It was about being a good Christian. The key here is LOVE.
I remember when I was in grade school, and we would pass notes back and forth that read something like this, "Let's be friends. Circle yes or no." Looking back, I laugh because I see how as a little girl, I didn't know better! I remember fighting over who sat by who at lunch or who could spend the night and so on. As I grew older, I realized that some of my friends didn't want to talk to me or they would just plain be mean to me. At the time, I wasn't mature enough to not let it bother me. You see, once you are some-body's friend, you should always be their friend. That's the way it is. Otherwise, you never really were their true friend. I had to learn that the hard way, and I had to realize that certain people never really were my true friends. I know now in my heart, that they will always be my friends because I don't turn my back on my friends. That's one thing about me that I've learned.....once I am your friend, I always will be. It doesn't matter if you resent me or have a great deal to say about me....I am not in this for glory or to say that I have tons of friends. I am only trying to walk like Jesus walked. He was a friend to publicans and sinners, not the elite and only those who liked Him. As you read through the Gospels, Jesus wasn't very popular by the high and mighty Pharisees, but many of the common folk loved and believed in Him for miracles.
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for a friend," this verse is true in every sense. Our Saviour showed us how true His love was to us when he lay down his life when he willingly lay on that rugged tree to be nailed and hung. I'm not saying that we should lay down our lives for others in the physical sense, but we can put ourselves aside for once and think of their needs instead of ours. I named my daughter Charity after my favorite chapter in the Bible, 2 Corinthians 13, which many call the "LOVE chapter." I love that chapter for the simple fact that it describes how we are to love mankind. I know that I constantly am reminding myself about the different things in that chapter, but if we really put it into practice, we will notice how everything will fall into place. There will be people who will love us back, and that is an added bonus! Let's be friends!