A Friend, Closer Than a Brother...

Play me a song
Curtis Loew, Curtis Loew
Well, I got your drinkin' money
Tune up your Dobro
People said he was useless
Them people all were fools
'Cause Curtis Loew was the finest picker
To ever play the blues

This song, sung by Lynyrd Skynyrd, is a song from my past. I haven't heard this song in years, and yet all of a sudden it’s on a continual loop in my head. Along with the song comes the memories.

I loved this song. Two of my friends used to sit in my living room and play this on their guitars, the harmony of their perfectly matched voices echoing off the ceiling. I loved this song because of its message. When the townspeople looked at Curtis Loew, they saw a drunkard who lived in a shack and drank all his money away. To them, he was worthless. To this young boy he was truly special. He had a gift that touched him, and made him worth risking punishment to hear. (This is a blog for another day!)

The real reason I loved this song was because of the friends who sang it. Their friendship was a gift that I treasured and that made my life sweet.

           

“Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” Proverbs 27:6

One of these girls in particular was the truest kind of friend, and we were close. She told me the truth, but with a smile that reminded me that she loved me regardless, and that she had my best interests in mind. We raised kids together and laughed together, and I miss her. The truth of it is that I know I let her down. When life got hard and I know she needed me, I was so focused on my own stuff that I was absent for her.

There is One who desires our friendship, although I don’t understand why, and is the truest kind of friend. He will do anything to establish a relationship with us, including dying for us. He is so far above us in holiness and righteousness that he had to make a way for a friendship with us. He gave us a written way to know him and his nature, and then he died to make us clean.

“The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. My eyes are ever toward the Lord…” Psalm 25:14

Too often I treat God like I treated my friend; I’m so focused on my own stuff, that I am absent for a friendship with him. God has already done it all. All I have to do is show up. Make time to get to know him. Spend time with him. He’s here. He’s ready. I don’t want to wake up regretting the time I missed with my Friend. What am I waiting for?

What are you waiting for?