John 15:13
“13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is when the palsied man is carried to the Savior by his four friends. Paraphrasing, the four men carrying the litter (like a stretcher) couldn’t get in the person’s house for the throng of people. So instead of giving up, or saying, “Sorry Tim, we couldn’t get in,” they got creative. They were going to help their friend be healed. With that faith, they negotiated the narrow stairs on the side of the house to the top of the roof. Here, they found the roof opening too small. What to do? Make it bigger, of course. With hilarious moxie and determination, they start ripping up roof tiles to make room. Lowering the litter down to where the Savior stood, I can only imagine his gentle smile, or even chuckling, at the faith of good friends. And He healed the man, who went out rejoicing with his friends.
That’s the kind of friend the Savior is to us. He is always there, always helping, always working our behalf and never giving up on us. Do we remember that? In times of loneliness or feeling misunderstood, do we truly remember we have a constant Friend and Companion who, through the power of the Holy Ghost, can help us feel peace, contentment, truth, or comfort? We only have to “pray to the Father” to ask for it, and we can receive it.
So this season if people, or life, or situations make you feel friendless, remember you always have a friend in Him. As the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” says, if you have one good friend, you have more than enough.
How can you express gratitude to a friend or be more of a friend to another today?
Best,
Connie
