I was recently sitting in the temple and the Spirit whispered this question, "What is a friend.?
I was surprised as I found myself having faces flooding my mind on who I considered "Friends." My heart smiled as their faces ran through my mind.
The spirit then went on to ask if my friends were like Job's three friends? Were they like the friends who stood by the Prophet Joseph Smith? Were they "fly by night friends? Friends of convenience, nurturing friends, long time friends, short term friends, good friends, best friends, or a friend in passing?
I found myself reflecting on the various friendships I have had and continue to have. Many memories flooded my mind as I reflected on them and my heart smiled at those I consider my true blue loyal friends.
Then the Spirit took me to the passage of scripture in the New Testament were Christ clothed himself and then knelt and washed the feet of His trusted and beloved disciples. I then had the words of a Kenneth Cope song run through my mind:
Greater Love
"If I had been there at his trial,
And watched as they mocked Israel's King,
I wonder if I would have tried to turn their hearts to Him,
If I had been there when they whipped him,
And watched as he fell to his knees,
Would I have been willing to offer my own life for Him,
For His friends, how he bled
His love for them was just as he said
Greater love he showed the greatest love, of all
If I had been there at the hillside when they fastened his hands to the cross,
I'm sure that my heart would have broken,
For His friends, For His friends,
And that's me if I do what he said
Would I give? Could I live my life like Jesus?
Jesus
Well now, it's been years since his lifetime,
But he and his love still remain,
And all that I want is to be like him,
He was all I hope to be,
I would give my life to be,
The kind of friend, Jesus was to me,
Greater love"
And in bold print in my mind "I would give my life to be the kind of friend, Jesus was to me."
That thought stopped me short as the Spirit started running through my mind faces of people that I had no desire to be friends with. As those faces ran through my mind I seen the Savior approaching those who many deemed not worthy of their time or friendship.
A knife sliced through my heart as I realized the reminder that the Spirit and my Heavenly Father were teaching me. Me who was always saying, "We are all children of an Eternal Heavenly Father who loves and each and every one of us...." And yet here I was staying in my comfort zone of "Friends whom I connected with." They also gave me the gentle reminder of my promise made many years ago to my Eternal Heavenly Father that my life was His....and upon hearing the above song for the first time I remember saying, "Oh, Heavenly Father I would give my life to be the kind of friend Jesus was to me." My mother always told me to be careful what you ask for :).
So, here in this New Year I am going to try and become a better friend to all that truly need a friend, And yes, I am going to lean on my current friends who happened to side with My Father in Heaven this go around.
What are friends a thoughtful soul once asked
There is the fly by night friends, the loyal friends,
the nurturing friend and your true-blue friends. What kind of friend are you?
Are you a friend like the ones who sat with Job
silently offering their quiet strength; or are you the type of friend that
would stand by your beloved prophet and give heed to his inspired words?
Or are you the type of friend who would kneel and wash
another’s feet?
Could you be a friend to the friendless or just a
friend to those who look and dress like you.
Imagine for a moment if you would, what it would be
like to be friend like the Savior has been to you.
Lorie B 2023
