He Calls Me Friend

 

If you have two friends in your lifetime, you’re lucky. If you have one good friend, you’re more than lucky.

S.E. Hinton

Friends till when?

When asked if I ever dreamed or thought about coming face to face with the Father of the universe or my possible reaction to such a marvelous scene where He calls me friend and sits with me, my mortal words fall short and fail me every time.

The many nuances of God are referred to with specific names: Elohim. El Shaddai. Adonai. Jehovah. God above all. El Roi. Master Artist. Creator. Sustainer. There are many more, and I also see Him as the Master Gardener (more on that later in this post).

The depth and meaning of each facet of His character resonate throughout eternity. Then there’s Jesus (AKA Yeshua, Messiah). Documented in the Bible’s holy scriptures, Jesus, as the personal part of God’s trinity, came to know and love His disciples.

These men were not His servants. He taught them how to serve others by investing His short time on earth in knowing and serving them. They walked with Him. He showed them the way and the light of His Father. They ate and laughed with him. He called them friends. Friends, till no end.

I have called you friends…

John 15:12-15 ESV

He calls me His own

What if we could live out the lyrics of an awe-inspiring song? If you or I had the opportunity to fall prostrate before God, would we be able to move or breathe or give the correct reverence to Him?

I have nothing to give. There’s no worthy offering to honor the only King of Kings, yet sometimes I wonder about His ways. I mean, I get how He calls believers His children—but why would He ever consider calling me (or any other sinner) His friend?

I’ve imagined a marvelous heavenly scene where I hear him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Or “Welcome home, friend,” but it’s hard to comprehend. The only judge that matters might see us as like-minded in some not-so-worldly oddball way and call us His own. I love that thought.

He calls us His own…

1 John 3:1-3

Opportunities and the Beginning and End

If given the opportunity to speak to Him, what utterance (if I could speak at all) would form on my unworthy lips? Would I finally realize how fragile life is right here, right now, and be positively transformed forever?

He is The Alpha and Omega. Beginning and End. Abba Father. Friend.

Imagine the pain and uncertainty when life turns on a dime. We come face to face with the possibility of almost losing a loved one, but instead, they were spared without any signs of illness. Would you proclaim it as a miracle? Would you want the world to know? I hope so. And I certainly did.

When family life turns on a dime

In 2013, my husband Dennis had a sudden stroke (and then a much worse massive heart attack in 2020). I still can’t believe it. Those events changed everything—and nothing at all at the same time.

I can still see myself crying moments after he walked into the house. We were to leave for our church to work at the Trunk or Treat Halloween event, which raised money for local and international mission projects. He and our then fifteen-year-old son, Noah, would help in the kitchen, and I’d work with the children’s face-painting team.

I glanced at the kitchen clock, then back at him. “Dennis, why are you home this early? It’s only 3:30.” I wasn’t expecting him until 5:00. I looked deeper into his distant, droopy gaze. “Your face looks different.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Panic pierced through his humor and straight through my heart. “What happened to you, Dennis?”

He set his briefcase down. “I’m fine. I just need a nap.”

Twenty-something years of marriage meant his words didn’t convince me. “Something is wrong.”

“I’ll be fine.” He paused and turned away from me. “I promise.”

“You look like you had a stroke or something worse.”

He shuffled toward our bedroom. “Please stop.”

“I’m calling an ambulance.” The rest of the weekend became a blur. My strong, handsome husband had suffered a stroke. His towering body instantly looked ten years older. Thankfully, that side effect wore off after a few days.

I wanted to say, See. I told you to stop working so hard … and to exercise … and to eat more greens… and to enjoy hiking … and always listen to me—. Instead, I said, “Please don’t leave me now. I love you. I love you. I love you. I—need you. What can I do to help you?”

He hears our cry

In all the chaos, I cried out to God. Is it my fault? Does he know how much I love him? Do I know how much I love him? I need Your help, Lord. This is crazy.

Looking back

I believe God allowed us to go through those storms to testify about His miraculous ways. The doctors, nurses, our family, and even Dennis’ clients were baffled. They all said, “God provided many miracles for you.”

And I believed it.

Fast-forward Eleven Years…

Today, Dennis is perfectly healthy. Although he still deals with tons of corporate mumbo jumbo, he insists he loves it. Maybe that’s because God allows him to show his business partner, employees, and clients his integrity, faith, and heart daily.

He’s always worked hard, so I could hardly work at my former business, writing endeavors, mission work, or indulge in my passion for holistic gardening.

After years of trying to overprotect him, I’ve learned to listen to the gentle whisper in my mind saying, He’s not yours to protect. I am his, and he is mine.

His medical test results continue to baffle his doctors—and me too. No brain or heart issues or anything else—except for the fact that he still doesn’t always listen to my advice. Go figure.

Over the course of eleven years and through several other trials, we learned how life can drastically change from one moment to the next. Today, we’re reminded not to let a day go by without showing and telling the ones we love how much they mean to us.

Living trust

I believe God wants us to live out our trust in Him and His word—no matter the cost.

Romans 8:28 is a favorite verse on that subject.

…And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

So, what if you never hold the one you love again? If you never see their smile … or hear the words “I love you,” would you believe God’s purpose is being fulfilled in their—and your—life? If He should call on me again, I hope I can look back and smile through my tears and have no regrets.

Love is an active verb

What if I show my love to my family and friends? I hope to live Jesus’ love at home, at work, and at the grocery store. I’m learning that while I can’t change what others say or do, I can positively change my perspective.

Perhaps, like a best friend, God occasionally taps us on the shoulder to say, “Wake up, my children. Savor each moment. Make each word and action count, for loving one another is of great worth in My kingdom.”

Yeah. Maybe that’s close to what he says to us through life events or milestones. And maybe that’s the one thing I can give.

The Sower, Cultivator, and ever-faithful Friend

I pray these illustrations show how I see God as so much more than a faithful friend or Master Gardener. While He is the Sower and Cultivator of my faith, and growing a beautiful garden takes time, pruning, and patience, the same principles apply while forming, nurturing, or cultivating relationships with family and friends.

At times, God prunes away things in our lives that contradict his purpose. My hope for tomorrow and happiness today is not in world leaders, global events, or financial success. Time has a way of proving everything comes and goes—except, His perfect powerful peace.

Although I’ve seen how life’s struggles can be torturous, I pray my personal trials and losses always keep me focused on the gift of life God gave us through his son Jesus. We’re here to celebrate that gift, and Dennis and I hope to share our gratitude and love as we host our youngest son Noah’s wedding at our mountain home, AKA “The Lodge,” next month.

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that bears fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful

John 15:2 NIV

In a Moment

On that great and glorious day when I meet my Savior, I expect to be humbly blown away by His awesome presence. Today, I’ll seek to know and grasp a glimpse of the precious gift of life we often take for granted. Everything we love and cherish. All we live and hope for could be gone. In. A. Moment.

I’d like to imagine Him smiling through the misty light and distant roaring thunder, and though I may not actually see His face —I’ll know He is part of the pinkish-purple light surrounding me. Fills me. Maybe I’d sense His long hair flowing behind Him and His arms outstretched, beckoning me to come closer. Into His presence. The sacred space where His words of encouragement, wisdom, and sometimes, warning meld. I am always here for you. Speak to me, my child.

And I will.

Until then, I pray all my prayers and jumbled thoughts spill out as a lowly offering at His feet…and I’ll continue to dream and imagine my reaction when I finally see my best friend’s face.

Dear friends,

Have you ever considered God a friend? My hope is in His Word. His Way. His truth. I pray yours is too. If not today, then someday. Wishing you many blessings on your journey,

~ JC

Join the conversation here in the Inspire A Fire comments section below. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject. Read more of my stories on IAF or click the highlighted links throughout this post. See you soon on my quirky Dreamdove’s Flights of Fancy blog, Insta, FB, Goodreads, Pinterest, and X.

Special thanks:

Thanks to Pixabay for free use of all images. Feature Image: jplenio, #1 eunseong0331, #2 analogicus, #3 LagrangeHerve.