Friendship Sorrows

I had no idea what I’d done. Still, the cruel truth was that one of my best friends didn’t want anything to do with me. If I saw her somewhere and greeted her, she grimaced and turned her head. If she started to enter a room and saw me, she spun around and stalked off.

It was heartbreaking. She and I had shared our hearts with each other. We’d worked together, played together, and prayed together. We’d helped each other out and we’d borne each other’s burdens. But now I felt like an outcast in her presence.

I called her to ask what had caused her sudden scorn, but she hung up as soon as she realized it was me. I wrote to her, but got no reply. I searched my heart for anything I might have said or done to offend her, but came up with no answer. I hoped it was just a temporary problem, but the situation went on for months, until she finally moved away.

How different from the way my Friend Jesus treats me! I’ve done plenty to cause Him to turn away from me. I couldn’t blame Him if He cast me off forever. Instead, He’s always willing to take me back, to put the past aside, and to treat me as if I had never hurt Him.

His love makes me want to show the same kind of friendship to those around me. Even the friend who cast me off!