Closer Than a Brother<\/strong><\/p>\n Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man of\u00a0many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” \u00a0\u00a0<\/i>This kind of steadfast loyalty is rare to come by and very precious when it’s found. So, what does it look like to have a friend who is closer than a brother?<\/p>\n I’m close with my sisters. \u00a0We don’t live near each other, so thank the Lord for cell phones, but after spending time with each of them during the last couple of months, I am reminded of how much we love and care for each other. \u00a0And this is sometimes a wonder to me. \u00a0Because I was basically a demon-child.<\/p>\n There was the time, for example, when I was walking \u00a0with the middle sister on a pier in Florida after dinner one night. \u00a0I was maybe eight and she was about six. \u00a0 I remember looking at my sister in her pink jellies and thinking: \u00a0“It would be so fun to push her in the water.” \u00a0<\/em>That exact thought went through my head. \u00a0And, so, in she went….jellies and all.<\/p>\n I wasn’t sure why I was the only one who laughed, though I was sympathetic when she lost one of the jellies. \u00a0That\u00a0<\/em>was truly unfortunate.<\/p>\n And the younger sister didn’t miss out on my shenanigans. \u00a0She was scarred as a child when I informed her that kids who are sent to the principles office are electrocuted. \u00a0They die. \u00a0A painful death. \u00a0I even pointed out the locked closet where the electric chair was held.<\/p>\n Duh.<\/p>\n And this resulted in a\u00a0mild\u00a0<\/em>panic attack when my sister’s friend was sent to the principal’s office. \u00a0My sis cried in anguish thinking she was loosing her friend forever. \u00a0(I fully admit to having some issues because this story still makes me smile when I think about it. \u00a0Maybe laugh.\u00a0Just a\u00a0little bit.) \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n And every Saturday my sisters followed me to the school across the street from our house, and they obeyed for hours as I played teacher and made them play student. \u00a0Actually, it was more like dictator and student. \u00a0They did worksheets, cleaned the classroom, and ran in circles (that was for P.E. class, of course). \u00a0Why in the world did they do this? \u00a0<\/em>Maybe the youngest was scared I would electrocute her if she didn’t follow along with my make-believe. \u00a0Who knows?<\/p>\n But even after all of this, they still love me…for the most part. \u00a0<\/i>They would do anything for me and I for them. Especially with the loss of both parents at fairly young ages, we stick together, no matter what, and I’m forever grateful that I can count on them…no matter what. \u00a0We all need friendships like this, but we should also be striving to be this kind of friend to another. \u00a0Like anything worth while in life, becoming this kind of friend takes some work and a little bit of sacrifice:<\/p>\n Sitting in the trials.<\/strong> \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The proverbs remind us that a “Friend loves at all times”<\/em> (17:17) \u00a0At ALL times. \u00a0A friend rejoices with those who rejoice and weeps with those who weep. \u00a0I think of those who have walked alone through difficult times. Like the people in the phone booth who are longing to be comforted but met only with silence, those who walk alone through difficulty have not had the benefit of a friend’s grip to keep them from drowning in sorrow. \u00a0As Proverbs 18 makes clear, a friend whose companions leave when the going gets tough can lead to devastation. \u00a0In our friendships, we need to be willing to\u00a0sit\u00a0<\/em>in the trials with each other and not merely observe from a distance.<\/p>\n When my dad was dying, I remember talking with a family friend who told me that he needed to step back from our family during this process. \u00a0It was just too difficult, he explained, since he had lost his own mother not that long before. \u00a0Oh, how that hurt. \u00a0I certainly understand his emotion; I found myself being drawn back into memories I did not want to relive while recently giving a friend advice about caretakers for ill parents. \u00a0It can be very difficult to enter into a friend’s pain, but how precious have been the extended, even tear-stained, hands from friends who have walked the journey before me. \u00a0Those are the hands I have been grateful to hold through the years; those are the hands of friends who are closer than a brother.<\/p>\n Sacrifice of Time<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n I asked my youngest if she wanted to go to the store with me the other day.<\/p>\n “Mommm. \u00a0No way. \u00a0I’m watching a really good show.” \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n I suggested that I was way more entertaining than a show, and after she rolled her eyes, she came and sat next to me on the couch.<\/p>\n “Ok, Mom. \u00a0I’ll go….” \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n And I was grateful for a moment that she wanted to hang with her super, entertaining mom.<\/p>\n “….if you get me a present at the store.” \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Whatever.<\/p>\n The reality, though, is that I can be as selfish with my time as my nine-year old. \u00a0I don’t readily give it, and when I do, I’ll sometimes first consider how time given will benefit\u00a0me. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Becoming a friend who is closer than a brother definitely takes sacrifice of time, and, admittedly, it gets harder to do this as we get older, but there are still ample ways throughout the day to grow in our relationships. \u00a0Perhaps it’s joining a Bible study and seeing what friendships are deepened through it. \u00a0 Maybe it’s asking a friend to join you for a daily walk or even inviting them into your home for a meal. \u00a0It may mean just asking someone to enter into your mundane for a few hours during the day.<\/p>\n When mom passed away, I had a dear friend who organized a luncheon for our family and friends. It took a lot of time on her part and she didn’t benefit at all since she served instead of eating, and yet that sacrifice of her time strengthened our friendship. \u00a0Without having to say it, her sacrifice spoke loud and clear: \u00a0“I love you and I care about you and your family.” \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Steadfastness<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n In 2 Timothy 4, Paul laments over friends who deserted him, but in the same sentence, he rejoices because “…t<\/em>he Lord stood by me and strengthened me.<\/em>..” \u00a0There may be a season of loneliness before friendships are developed and strengthened, and often that loneliness comes in times of trials, but these are usually the times in which our communion with Christ is strengthened. \u00a0Our ability to be steadfast in our friendships is a mere reflection of Jesus’ love for us. \u00a0Though we daily forsake Him, grace abounds. \u00a0Though we readily turn our backs on Him, He stands by us.<\/span><\/p>\n The more we begin to understand this unwavering love from Jesus, the more we will want to show it to others. \u00a0And the more we show it to others, the stronger our friendships become.<\/p>\n My youngest was nervous about a shot she was getting a few weeks ago. \u00a0And by nervous I mean she was writhing around on the ground saying things like, “I’m going to die!\u00a0<\/em> and\u00a0“How could you?”\u00a0<\/em>and using words like “wretched”\u00a0<\/em>and “mean.” \u00a0<\/em>And she wasn’t referring to the cruelty of humanity.<\/p>\n After telling her to keep it down because I was watching\u00a0<\/em>a really good show,\u00a0<\/em>she asked me if her older sister was also getting a shot.<\/p>\n “Yes.” \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n And with that, she promptly stood up, calmly walked over to the couch, plopped herself down and said,\u00a0“Oh, OK. \u00a0Then it won’t hurt.” \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Maybe I shouldn’t have been so surprised by her response. \u00a0Simply knowing that she’d have someone going through the experience with her literally lessened the impending pain for my daughter.<\/p>\n What a beautiful picture of friendship.<\/p>\n Maybe there is someone you know sitting in a phone booth, waiting in silence. \u00a0Don’t be afraid to go in, extend a hand, and even sit for a while. \u00a0Your hand, feeble as it may be, may be the extension of the grace they need, and your friendship just may be the response they’ve been waiting for.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I recently listened to a podcast about a man from Japan who keeps a phone booth in his back yard. … <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/katiepolski.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/IMG_1773.jpg?resize=282%2C423&ssl=1\")
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