Friendship Is Better With Quality, Not Quantity
Word-Of-The-Day: ‘One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother.’ (Proverbs 18:24)
Earlier this week, I had the honor of speaking at a ‘Celebration of Life’ for a person who I consider a friend, though I did not know him that long. He and his wife began attending our church about 18 months ago, and came to my Monday Night Life Group soon after. He and I began a dialogue of calls, texts, and e-mails; often he would either ask me questions regarding the Bible or Spiritual needs, or ask if there was anything he could assist me with, especially if it fell into his wheelhouse of skills and knowledge.
About a month ago, he had asked me if I needed any aluminum welded; this is a very specialized form of welding, and though I didn’t have anything aluminum needing welding (or anyone else needing such a service), I thanked him and thought that it was very special to volunteer to do such a specialized service, one that is both very valuable and time-consuming.
Though I can’t say I knew him for a long time or in-depth, I knew his heart, and it was very giving and loving. He greatly loved his wife, those he was around, and more importantly he loves his Lord, Jesus. I state ‘loves’ and not ‘loved’ as in the present tense he is with Jesus, face-to-face, forever in His presence and constant renewal of Spirit and body.
Friendships – true friendships – are based on quality, not quantity, as are many things that are important in life. You may know people for years and they may not be friends necessarily; you may meet someone for the first and only time once and they may be a friend for a lifetime. For example; it was my first day at the Reception Station at Fort Dix, New Jersey on 21 January 1982. I hadn’t even gotten my hair cut yet (the buzz cut) when us new recruits were assigned to our ‘incoming’ platoons.
In a condition of looking lost, a another recruit, an older man named Jack, came up and asked if I needed any assistance. I was not aware which building to go in, so I told Jack the building number and he said, “I’m in the same building, follow me.” So, I did, and to my pleasant surprise he was also assigned to my squad room. He took the bunk over mine, and we proceeded over the next week to hang together and talk.
Jack was a Vietnam veteran in Army Military Intelligence (which I was going in), and told his stories of being in Laos at a remote intelligence-gathering site deep in the Laotian jungles. He had left the Army in late 1973 and became a hotel manager in New Hampshire but due to the recession in 1981 that wasn’t paying the bills for him and his family, he re-enlisted in the Army so he could have something stable, and I would imagine also to break up the routine of a normal job.
Jack was (and I pray still is) high-energy, but took the time to explain the ins-and-outs of the Army and gave me advice as we and our squad went through all the medical, clothing issue, barbershop, chow-line, etc. In essence, he was my ‘battle-buddy’ for that week of indoctrination into the ‘Army’ way.
After that week, I went to my Basic Training Company (‘Charlie’ Platoon-1st Company-3rd Battalion), but Jack went somewhere else. I shook his hand and thanked him. I would see him only one other time, months later at Fort Devens, Massachusetts during ‘Advanced-Individual-Training’ as I was training to become a MOS 33S (Radio Repair) and he was there for another MOS which I can’t recall (probably a 98-series MOS as a Morse-Code or Radio Operator).
We said hello, shook hands, asked each other how we were doing, but he had to run to class. I never saw Jack after that, but I believe if we ever run into each other, even after 43 years (and if we recognize each other, as I obviously no longer have the ‘buzz cut’) we would likely pick up where we left off. Jack was a friend when I needed one, even if it was only for a week.
We all have a Friend who is even better than having a guy like Jack in our lives, Jesus Christ. Jesus did one thing, one time to make us His friend for all eternity. As important as it is that He was born into this world, it is more important to know that He thought of us enough as friends (indeed, relatives) to have willingly died for us as that Sacrifice to provide us a means of redemption from sin.
Jesus promises to be that one quality Friend, to be with us, to help us, encourage us, and get us through the trials of this life so we can be with Him for eternity – but we must also accept Him as our Friend. That first week of boot camp would have been more difficult without having Jack as a friend; this life would be even more difficult without having Jesus as my perpetual Friend!
