John 15:15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends.
A few years ago, some women in our church decided to take a road trip to catch a women’s conference in Lexington, Kentucky. Edith Schaeffer was the main speaker, and ever since my husband and I studied at Swiss L’Abri, I was a fan.
The six of us packed into a van and drove from Pennsylvania to Kentucky full of joy and expectation. All was going well until we arrived downtown, trying to find our way to the conference center. It was my turn to drive, and I was behind a semi-truck. As he pulled through the traffic light, I followed, even though his cab was hiding the signal from my view. Wrong move. Immediately, a police officer pulled me over. When I tried to explain I was from out of town and unfamiliar with the city, he responded, “Mam, the laws in Kentucky are the same as Pennsylvania.” Urrgh!
This traffic violation wouldn’t have been so bad if it had been the only one. But on our way back home, I was stopped again for speeding! Two tickets within the span of about four days. What an example I had set for the women in my church! I felt terrible (and broke).
The police officer actually made me follow him back to the station to pay the fine. As I got out of the car, completely demoralized, one of my friends hopped out of the car and walked quietly beside me. If I was going to jail, she wouldn’t let me go alone! Thankfully, neither of us became Piketon, Ohio’s newest convicts.
When I look back on that road trip, I don’t remember a whole lot. Not even Edith Schaeffer’s message! What left an indelible mark was my friend’s comforting support.
One of God’s richest blessings lies in the sweet intimacy of friendship. Jesus told his disciples they were more than servants, more than followers, more than co-laborers in his kingdom. He called them friends.
Incredibly, Jesus extends to us that same abiding friendship. No matter what our circumstance, we are never alone….because of this friend who sticks closer than a brother. How I hope you hear him call you “friend.”