Browse By Topic 
F Friendship
Huckleberry Finn knew the feeling of having to choose between the easiest, most sensible course of action and that course which he knew to be correct. Huck was having a grand adventure with his friend Jim, the two of them sailing down the Mississippi river on a homemade raft. But one day Huck realized that Jim was a runaway slave and he knew that, according to the law, he ought to write to Jim's owner Miss Watson and inform her of Jim's whereabouts.
Huck did write that letter, and was prepared to mail it but then, he says, I "got to thinking over our trip down the river; and I see Jim before me ... But somehow I couldn't seem to strike no places to harden me against him, but only the other kind. I'd see him standing my watch on top of his'n, stead of calling me, so I could go on sleeping ... And he would alsways do everything he could think of for me, and how good he always was ... And then I happened to look around, and see that letter I'd wrote..
"It was a close place. I took it up, and held it in my hand. I was a trembling, because I'd got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knowed it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: "All right then" and tore [the letter] up."
Huck Finn was driven to choose the difficult instead of the simple way of living, the uncommon instead of the ordinary, way of doing business. All because of his uncommon relationship with a friend. Because he decided that his feelings of respect and care he had for his friend Jim were stronger than the feelings of fear and trembling he had for the authorities of the land.
Source: Mark Twain, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"
Topics/Tags: Friendship
In the 1988 movie "Rain Man," Tom Cruise plays a somewhat greedy, self-centered fellow who's initially trying to figure out a way to get the whole of the family inheritance away from his brother Raymond, played by Dustin Hoffman. Raymond is an "autistic savant," which means that, although his intellect is top-flight, far above average, his social skills and ability to interact in the world are nil--so his brother is determined to convince Raymond and all other interested parties that the family money is worth nothing to Raymond, but it could be worth something to him! So, big brother "connects" with his special-needs brother, for the sole purpose of "getting something back" for his efforts.
Over the course of the movie, though, the greedy brother realizes that there's more to his relationship with Raymond, after all, than simply getting the dough away from Raymond. There's the simple joy of being in relationship with another person, a joy that's intensified for him by the knowledge that Raymond can never truly repay what he's doing for him.
There is more to "being connected with others" than the simple calculation of what they can give back to us in return!
Source: "Rain Man"
Topics/Tags: Friendship; Relationships
An 11-year-old boy had been homebound for a week while recovering from an illness. While he was sick, a classmate had been faithful to bring him his school assignments each day.
Impressed by the friend's kindness, the sick boy's mother suggested, "We should do something nice for Brad." Puzzled, the boy responded, "No, not necessarily."
"But he has been so faithful to bring you your schoolwork every day!"
"I know … but we're friends."
-----------
While that is not quite the proper response, it does remind us that friends should be willing to make sacrifices for one another, without any expectation of reward or payback.
Source: Mature Living, August 1998, p. 6.
Topics/Tags: Friendship; Kindness
A scorpion, being a very poor swimmer, once asked a turtle to carry him on his back across a river. "Are you mad?" exclaimed the turtle. "You'll sting me while I'm swimming and I'll drown." The scorpion laughed as he replied, "My dear turtle, if I were to sting you, you would drown and I would go down with you. Now, what would be the point of that? I won't sting you. It would mean my own death!"
The turtle thought about the logic of his argument for a few moments and then said, "You're right. Hop on!" The scorpion climbed aboard and halfway across the river, he gave the turtle a mighty sting.
As the turtle began to sink to the bottom of the river with the scorpion on it back, it moaned in dismay, "After your promise, you still stung me! Why did you do that? Now, we're both doomed."
The drowning scorpion sadly replied, "I couldn't help it, It's in my nature to sting."
Study the character of a person before you make them a friend. The stage on which their character plays is going to be your life.
Source: via David Zimmerman in "Baptist Preachers" mailing list
Topics/Tags: Character; Nature; Friendship
The Veil
A misty veil is a romantic sign of purity at a wedding. A new car design is veiled to give suspense, mystery - and pride when revealed. The veil of Muslim women is different. Their veil may denote protection. However, all too often, it symbolises humiliation and limitation....
Our role is not to force Christianity on others. However, many people of other faiths, including Muslims, are earnestly and openly searching for life and freedom beyond their current experience. Through established and open friendships, opportunities arise to respond to questions and to speak of Jesus. Are we prepared to take the time just “being there” for people such as these, learning their customs, respecting them, loving them?
--
Gary Heard
Melbourne, Australia
Source: "Christian Leadership" email discussion list
Topics/Tags: Evangelism; Friendship; Relationships
The open hand holds more friends than the closed fist.
--
Gary Heard
Melbourne, Australia
Source: "Christian Leadership" email discussion list
Topics/Tags: Friendship; Availability; Generosity
The person who looks up to God rarely looks down on people
--
Gary Heard
Melbourne, Australia
Source: "Christian Leadership" email discussion list
Topics/Tags: Submission; Attitude; Friendship; Relationships
Bob Brubaker writes: "The road of discipline is much easier with more than one."
Ecclesiastes 4:9 (NIV) 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:
"I don’t know how many times my friend Joe Salwan and I have commented: “If I didn’t know you’d be here waiting to run with me I would have slept in this morning.” Having another person hold you accountable, running the race together, will make a real difference."
Source: The Cornerstone FAQS — Monday – December 7, 1998
Topics/Tags: Discipline; Mentoring; Accountability; Friendship
A fifth-grade class from Lake Elementary School in Oceanside, California, made headlines when all the boys in the class showed up for school one day with their heads shaved. A mark of rebellion? No—this time the shaved heads were a mark of compassion.
You see, one of the members of that class, Ian O'Gorman, had developed cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy. Ian's hair had begun to fall out. To make their friend feel less self-conscious, all of his classmates agreed to shave their heads (with their parents' permission).
The teacher was so moved by the spirit of his class that he shaved his head, too.
_______
What are we willing to do in order to ease the pain and suffering of others?
Source: Jim Zabloski, 25 Most Common Problems in Business, Broadman-Holman, 1996, p. 232.
Topics/Tags: Compassion; Friendship; Sickness; Cancer
"A single arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle."
— Japanese proverb.
______
There is strength to be found in numbers! God's people must willingly hold each other accountable.
Source: Men of Integrity, Vol. 1, no. 1.
Topics/Tags: Accountability; Strength; Friendship
Browse By Topic F Friendship