I am reading Richard Lambs “The
Pursuit of God in the Company of Friends”. I just read Chapter Four “The
Healing touch of God” about how God can bring healing and how friends are often
involved. There were three types, all in Mark Chapter 1 and 2; Story of the
Leper, Jesus bringing him back to his friends, Story of the Paralytic, his
friends bringing him to Jesus, and the story of Levi, Jesus bringing him
healing by showing love and acceptance to his friends. Each of these stories
bring healing, even the man who wasn’t “sick” Levi needed to be healed of his
belief he wasn’t accepted.
I enjoyed the chapter. It brought
me to the conclusion that I’ve experience each one of these types of healing in
the course of my life. We all need a lot of healing. God has healed me so I
could stop being the social leper I thought I was and accept I could be a part
of society. A friend, someone I didn’t really feel that close to (I thought she
was kind of weird so cheery all the time basking in God’s love and I couldn’t
feel it) brought me to God through her prayers. And God has partied with me as
I write (that’s my party) like Jesus dined with Levi’s friends, accepting me
even though my “friends” were my characters. He accepted that about me. Through
that acceptance I grew confident enough to form relationships with flesh and
blood people. I’m still very new at it but I’m in process.
As I read one thing popped into my
head I couldn’t get out. I’m not sure it directly relates but for better and
often worse I often think out of the sphere of the text. I wonder not only
about the “me” as the “Leper”, “Paralytic”, or the “Levi” but the me as the
“Friend”.
There are many occasions when I
haven’t always been the best friend. Early in life I was bossy when people came
over to my house and stubborn about playing what I wanted to play even if that
meant I wouldn’t play with them. I had a couple best friends who I haven’t
stayed close to for many reasons, that aren’t just mine. They had their reasons
too.
Later in life I kept to myself
talking with the girls I hung out with at lunch, pickup, and during school when
appropriate. I got together with girls from time to time. Sometimes we had fun
sometimes not. For the most part I wouldn’t do much outside of school
preferring to be alone either sleeping, reading, watching TV, or writing. When I did
do things with friends I’d try to do what they wanted yet that made the
friendship more work for me than fun. It didn’t seem worth killing my own
desires every time I went out with or had a friend over. I didn’t know how to compromise.
It seemed impossible.
Now I’m working on compromising,
the first step is to know and vocalize my own desires. Then once doing that and
only that didn’t help me develop friendships I learned to prompt other people so
they would communicate their desires. I ask them how they are, "how’s work
going", "how's your family" and if I have any information to follow up on I’ll do that. The
next step is to be able to adapt activities based on these desires so that both
parties are content. I’m working on it.
It is a theme in Christianity to be like Jesus.
He was a good friend honest, kind, and he looked out for those around him. So,
even though it’s not easy, sometimes Christians can be hurtful (to all those
who I've hurt I am deeply sorry), we should try and do the same as Jesus did.
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