Welcome to God's Lemonade Stand

It is my hope that by reading this daily you will grow in your walk with Christ and knowledge of scriptures and be set free from any struggles in your life that are weighing you down. Be blessed to be a blessing.

Friday, December 16, 2011

WANT A FRIEND? BE FRIENDLY!

 Who does not like to have a friend? During this Christmas season it is always special as friends meet and eat and exchange gifts. But you do not have to get or give a gift to be a friend. The best gift is one of time,not something material you have to buy. The best gift is being appreciated for who you are and loved, warts and all. A friend is there when the world runs out on you. Friends defend you and speak up for you. Friends will be honest even if it hurts, but they do not want to, or like to hurt you. Friends share and laugh.
As a Christian you have  a different special bond as a friend and that is the Lord. Friends are brought together by many 'God thing' ways. I can look back over the year and think of the neat ways God brought me together with many of my friends. Some day I would like to put it in a book called 'God Things'. If you want to be a friend, the saying goes, you have to show yourself friendly.

 At Thanksgiving we often think of things we are thankful for and right up there on my list are my trusted, loyal, loving friends. I do not take one of them for granted. For anyone who has ever been hurt by a friend or even told "I do not want to be your friend anymore" in a round about way, it hurts. So for the friends you have in your life make sure they know that they are special. Do something special for them. You do not have to spend lots of money to prove your friendship. Just a phone call or  a card in the mail. Even a hug.

Remember that Jesus is your ultimate best friend. If earthly friends hurt you Jesus never does. He is there through thick and thin. John 15:15 says "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."

When I lived in Arizona about twelve years ago my living room was called my 'friends room'. I would look around and see things hanging on the walls or sitting on tables or shelves that were gifts from friends. No interior decorator could come in and tell me these had to go because these were my 'ties' with my friends .These moved with me to the two places I have lived since leaving Arizona. One of my favorites was a little statue of two friends hugging given to me by dear friends in Iowa. It is by my fireplace and when I look at it I think of them. But all the gifts are reminders of very special dear people in my life.

Proverbs 18:24 says "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother." Are you that kind of friend to someone?

 At Christmas we remember friends far and near. Being a military member then a military wife and traveling all over the place God truly blessed us with our friends who were like family. Christmas is a terrific time to stay in touch with them and catch up on what has been going on. Some you may not hear from but this one time a year but it is still as if you had just left their side in many cases. Take the time to thank the Lord today for the true friends He has blessed you with.

PRAYER:  Thanks Lord for the gift of friendship. It is the one of the most priceless gifts I can think of this Christmas season. In Jesus name. Amen.

Click on link below for the song "Friends" by Michael W Smith.
http://youtu.be/Ped1jYLFtkA

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