A Faithful and Helpful Friend

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. – John 15:13 
 
I have a distinct memory of going to church camp when I was about 11 or 12 years old. Whenever I went to church camp, I always took my fishing pole. When in doubt, fish; that was my philosophy as a kid. During some free time at this particular camp, I had the privilege and the freedom to fish.  
 
My best friend Bill and I decided that we would go to the seawall and cast out there to see if we could catch anything. All of the other kids were out running around and doing other stuff, but we decided to fish during our free time. I cast my line out and it wasn't long before I got it hooked on something. There were lots of oyster shells and barnacles there. Because I only had one hook, one weight, and one bobber, I had to retrieve that stuff. If they broke off, I was out of luck. Knowing that I only had one pair of shoes with me, I decided to take off my shoes and socks. The last thing I wanted to do was to get those things wet and muddy.  
 
Therefore, I went down there barefooted. If you know anything about barnacles and oyster shells, you know that walking through them barefoot is not a good idea. I climbed down into the water, got my line, and freed up my fishing pole. I threw it up on the shore, then I tried to climb up the seawall. Those bare feet weren't as resilient as I thought they were. I cut my feet to ribbons on the seashells and barnacles. I was bleeding like crazy.  
 
My friend Bill said, “We have to get you to the nurse.” So I put my arm around him, and he helped me hobble several hundred yards to the nurse’s station before I would bleed to death. I had a buddy who helped me in my time of need, and I survived. This was a simple memory that stays in my mind. Instead of running away, I had a friend who stayed with me and helped me.  
 
Do you have a friend like that in your life? Do you have someone who will stop what they’re doing to help you and come alongside you in your time of need? If so, I hope you’ll take the time to thank God for that friend today. And if not, I pray that you ask the Lord to bring someone like that into your life so you can experience what a true, godly, sacrificial friendship looks like! Some of the greatest blessings God can give us are our friends. Let’s not soon forget how they’ve impacted our lives through the years!