How did you celebrate?
Did you know that the first Sunday of August is National Friendship Day? How did you celebrate this momentous occasion? Did you have a barbecue, and have all your friends come over to your house? Just how many friends would that be, off the top your head?
National Friendship Day was originally founded by Hallmark in 1919. It was intended to be a day for people to celebrate their friendship by sending each other cards, but by 1940 the market had dried up, and eventually, it died out completely. It wasn’t until Winnie the Pooh was named the world’s Ambassador of Friendship at the United Nations, and in April 2011 the United Nations, (where all important world matters are decided,) officially recognized 30th July as International Friendship Day; although most countries celebrate on the first Sunday of August! Yes, that’s what I said the United Nations declared a stuffed bear to the Ambassador of International Friendship. So it has been declared by the great minds that rule the world that we must have a holiday to commemorate friendship. This is how the declaration of the National Friendship Day reads: we are invited to “observe this day in an appropriate manner, in accordance with the culture and other appropriate circumstances or customs of their local, national and regional communities, including through education and public awareness-raising activities”. I think I might need a translator to explain what that means.
To me a true friend is someone who you could depend on, no matter how far away they were, or how long it had been since you had seen them last. You could meet days, weeks, months, or even years later and pick up right where you left off without missing a beat. The Bible defines a friend like this; Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13. Of course that is exactly what Jesus Christ did for each and every one of us, he laid down his life to save us from eternal damnation.
How many friends do you have on Facebook? How many of those people would you die for? I can remember when I was in high school some girls would call you their friend to your face, but stab you in the back with unkind words if they thought it would make themselves more popular. So let me ask you this, how do you define friendship? What would be the tensile strength of your friendship to your closest friend? I think these are questions that would behoove us all to stand in front of a mirror and ask ourselves, and look deep into our own eyes when we answer the question.
WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS
Joseph Scriven/ Charles Crozat Converse
What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge;
take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he’ll take and shield thee;
thou wilt find a solace there.
As parents, we need to instill in our children what true friendship is. And teach them that the greatest friend they will ever have will be Jesus Christ. Don’t ever let your children hear you gossip about your friends, and destroy the meaning of what true friends are, always keeping in mind that we must live what we teach.
We as authors, have often built enduring friendships in our works. A true friendship is much more difficult to establish and even harder to maintain than in the world of fiction. It is my hope that each and every one of you can enjoy true friendship at its very best, remembering always to have a true and good friend you must be one!
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
Ecclesiastes 4:10
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24
He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
Proverbs 13:20
A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 17:17
Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
John 15:15