Friendship I

Friendship I

Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend. unknown

"A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about father," said the son. "I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor."

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl!

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometime he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?"
Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done..." continued tomorrow...

As I ponder friendship I think of our Old Testament brothers and sisters who, just like us, sometimes struggled to believe that God was really there for them; that He was their friend; for them and not against them. Even though He was literally in the midst of them (as Christ is now in us), they had all the same very human thoughts and feelings, especially in the midst of trial and trouble.

Maybe in the midst of their own dark days they felt the heavy sadness experienced by the Grandfather above. They felt separate, alone and in need of a friend to remind them of their worth and value, to help them remember the dignity of being born of God.

Sister, friend, are you that one who needs reminding or are you the one who needs to go. Whichever one it is, ask, seek, knock, go, receive the Lord's favor.

"And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.'" ~~Luke 4:17-19

Stephanie Paul, child of the Most High God, is a wife and mother of two grown children. She currently serves as part of the Addiction Recovery Ministry at America's Keswick as Women's Ministry Assistant. Her passion is to be an instrument of change in the lives of wounded, hurting people.

According the Urban Legend reference page, Leo Tolstoy is the author of the story and his rendition, "The Old Grandfather and the Grandson" derives from an even older story written by The Brothers Grimm.
¹http://www.snopes.com/glurge/woodbowl.asp