The Friend of a Kind

Friendship is the least complicated relationship, a few hi's, a few lunchs together, a few conversations, answering a few "hey, can you help me out on this" calls and bang! you get a friend. With social networking today, I can be a friend to a friend's intersesting friend. All I have to do is to click a button.

Friendship comes with no strings attached, and makes you feel accepted outside your home. Good friends help us discover who we are and propel us into our destiny. But, the other kind of friends manipulate us and make us lose our identity.

Staying away from bad company is a lesson we've been hearing a lot. That's a choice; we can choose whom we wish to have as friends. But the other part of the lesson is not about a choice, but a challenge. A challenge --- to be a good friend.

Your friendship started off in a great note, probably you studied together, shopped together, helped at an orphanage, prayed and had fun together. All of a sudden, things are changing color in your friend's life. You are God fearing and so is your friend. Now, things are a little different, your friend begins to do things you don't appove of. You're not really sure, but very uncomfortable, what do you do ?

"A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends,.."

The interesting part of this verse follows..

"..even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty." - Job 6:14

Now, that's a tough lesson. I interpret this Scripture as God illuminates it to me. Write to me, if you have your concerns.

Friendship calls for fierce loyalty. Maybe that's why Jesus called his disciples friends. And it is also striking that it was actually Job's friends who showed up to see Job at his point of distress. Of the many reasons existing, I think God was pretty mad at Job's friends, because they tried to enforce a 'spiritual opinion' on Job instead of genuinely trying to help him in his crisis.

We do that sometimes too. In our misdirected zeal, we sometimes say things that are of no use. We rebuke our friend by blowing our own trumpet of self righteousness. In moments like this, I think God wants us to work together with Him to help our friend out. Anyone can sympathize with someone in a difficult situation, but it takes a good friend to empathize. Others would write off our friend as someone in a hopeless situation, only we can go the extra mile and put ourself in the shoes of our hurting friend and help him or her out.

When people are in wrong, or in some kind of internal conflict, it is natural for them to get defensive. They generally get over-sensitive and tend to mistake even a casual remark, as something that is directed towards them. In this process, we could find them saying something mean and hurtful at us. But remember, you are a friend and not just good company. Right at the moment, you are her/his only confidant. If you're going to turn hostile, you're leaving behind your friend who is in desperate need of you (but ofcourse she will deny that she needs you).

Jesus said that the greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends. That's why He died for his friends when they were yet rebelling against Him. Similarly, genuine friendship sometimes calls for death of self respect. But that's the only way to show real love. The real test of friendship is not in the good times when we're doing stuff together, but when our minds are miles apart. The story of Jesus does not end with his death but in a glorious resurrection, because of the depth of his love. Even today, Jesus is able to win the hearts of many rebels (including me), because of that enduring love.

Never judge your friend, you have no idea what he/she is going through. Love your friend for who she/he is and not for what you want her/him to be. The journey would be long, you may sometimes feel lonely. But no relationship goes anywhere without effort to help each other in times of pain.

C'mon she needs you. Show her your devotion to your friendship and work with God in helping her walk in the light.

With love,
Callie...

From Callie, With Love

Forgive me for boring
But you've always borne my painful art.
So I just take it for granted.

There were days I came to college
With a heavy heart.
There were days I felt my mind ripped apart.
My morning prayer would be filled with questions
That I never dared to ask

And we'd begin our normal chat
And we'll talk till our mouths run dry
I never wanted you to know my ugly heart
So everything would just stay inside.

But that's the miracle of our friendship
The one that He breathed into
He would speak into your heart
And the words would just fall through.

The very words that I needed to hear
The ones that heal and make light reappear.

I've always been proud and bold
You know why..?
Because my friends; I could always try..
They would never their affection withhold...
They would always protect me and love me
Even if; To others I looked cold.

I wonder how my life would have been
Without you guys...
With just mom, dad, sis and me
And everyday I say thank you
For this gracious gift that only few receive.

Its great to have fun
Its great to be together
But our lives are different.
And we may not always need each other.

Guys..God put us together
Not just for ourselves
But for Him and His great plan.
We've learnt a lot from each other.
And earned a lot more than we ever can.

Now its time to show the world the lessons we learnt.
To show those watching
That we're doing just what He dreamt.
That our friendship's was not a passing cloud.
But helped us each to build our life in the very way He loved.

I don't believe that its for us
The parting pain and the farewell cry.
It'll never end you know
The love and the joy..
And its true that we'll never know how to say good bye.

I hope that I never have to mail you with those dreadful words..
"I miss you man.."
But even if we move different ways.
I'd still be glad that you're in His hands.

I'm sorry guys
I tried really hard to give back
My best I did, to show you that I care.
But somehow I could never be fair.

-Callie

Friends Indeed!!!

Usually I spend a lot of time thinking for the title of the writing, but for this piece the title was the first thing I keyed in.

I wonder how my life would have been without my two friends.., Evelyn and Beulah.

Evelyn... she made the first entry into my life; When she came in I hardly knew what friendship meant. She did a lot of things for me, things I can never write. When I was away from my parents, just when I was around her ,she made me feel totally at home,.Though our likes and dislikes are entirely different we stick together like paper and glue. I owe a lot to her for one thing, she made me discover myself.

Beulah... she came into my life two years later, but WOW!! .. whenever Eve and I talk about her, the single word that we use to describe her is 'gem'. She is totally understanding and very adjustable. Initially when Evelyn and I were new to college and Beulah was a new entrant into our lives, she gave us the space we needed. She never demanded attention and she saw to it that she never came in between the both of us. By becoming our best friend she strengthened our bonds stronger than ever.

You may wonder what this is got to do with 'My Master's Voice'. Well, my Master is the only God who calls His worshippers as friends, and He knows the value and importance of friends and that's why , when I surrendered my life to God, He gave me the perfect friends. Friends I could never have made on my own.

God uses them to add colour to my otherwise plain and boring life. Moreover, I can hear my Master's voice clearly anywhere whether in class, or in the bus, or in the mess hall, or in the lab, or in the library, because these the guys who are always around me,the Master's own special children.

When I think about these angels in my life, all I can say is , "Lord, you know me too well.. and that's why you gave me friends who can keep a check on my life. Thank you so much"

We fellowship, we pray, we do bible studies, we study (they're going to hit me for this!!), and most of all we live like we share the same life.

Ecclesiastes 4:10
If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

Luke 5:20
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."

John 15:15
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.