Earlier today, a friend offered to do me a favour; my reply? Sure, if it’s not too much of a bother. Then it hit me, of course he wouldn’t have offered to do it if it was too much of a bother, seeing as we’re friends he probably takes as much pleasure in doing me a favour as I would in doing him one – no strings attached.
Somehow thinking about those words, the thoughts behind them got me thinking, in a sense it was like, “if I have done enough for you to think it worth doing me this favour, I’d like that!!” I suppose in a way I have learnt something about friendship as well... the sharing bit, the “no strings attached” bit.
I always try to be that kind of friend, but for some crazy reason I never considered that any of my friends were that kind, too lost in the social contract I guess, you know, the unwritten set of rules that leads us to keep count of the favours we owe or are owed, the thought that we can only go to someone for help if they already owe us something or if we are ready to owe them something... But there are always a couple of people whom we can always turn to, a couple of people who will always be there for us, no matter what, a couple of people where the favour, the debt, is paid with a smile or a joke and nothing more...
And now I realise that I’m surrounded by these crazy people, people who have given up on counting the favours I owe them or the favours they owe me, people who do what they do for me simply because they want to, because it gives them pleasure to give me pleasure... People who will stand by me, stand with me, hold me up when I need the support and let me go when they know I can stand on my own again, people who will laugh with me and laugh at me, laugh even harder at my tantrums and end up getting me to laugh with them... total madness!! But I suppose that is the nature of true friendship; We always owe each other too much to pay back, and yet somehow, that debt has already been paid “pressed down, shaken and running over...”
Too many times, I have gotten down on my knees and said something to the effect, “Lord, if it is not too much of a bother, would you please...” Now the Lord my God is probably the truest friend I have ever had or will ever have; of course He wants to see me happy! And of course He will do whatever it takes to put that smile on my face, it is no bother at all!!
I am humbled this morning coz I have realised something I should have a while back, something I guess I knew but never really knew, if that makes any sense: I have friends; real friends, I mean, the kind who are so much a part of me that seeing them happy is more than enough payment for the “favour” I just did or vice versa.
And humbled too coz I know that there is Someone out there who loves me more than any of them do, Who cares for me more than even I know, who has already paid the price for any favours he might do me...
God loves me...:)
Somehow thinking about those words, the thoughts behind them got me thinking, in a sense it was like, “if I have done enough for you to think it worth doing me this favour, I’d like that!!” I suppose in a way I have learnt something about friendship as well... the sharing bit, the “no strings attached” bit.
I always try to be that kind of friend, but for some crazy reason I never considered that any of my friends were that kind, too lost in the social contract I guess, you know, the unwritten set of rules that leads us to keep count of the favours we owe or are owed, the thought that we can only go to someone for help if they already owe us something or if we are ready to owe them something... But there are always a couple of people whom we can always turn to, a couple of people who will always be there for us, no matter what, a couple of people where the favour, the debt, is paid with a smile or a joke and nothing more...
And now I realise that I’m surrounded by these crazy people, people who have given up on counting the favours I owe them or the favours they owe me, people who do what they do for me simply because they want to, because it gives them pleasure to give me pleasure... People who will stand by me, stand with me, hold me up when I need the support and let me go when they know I can stand on my own again, people who will laugh with me and laugh at me, laugh even harder at my tantrums and end up getting me to laugh with them... total madness!! But I suppose that is the nature of true friendship; We always owe each other too much to pay back, and yet somehow, that debt has already been paid “pressed down, shaken and running over...”
Too many times, I have gotten down on my knees and said something to the effect, “Lord, if it is not too much of a bother, would you please...” Now the Lord my God is probably the truest friend I have ever had or will ever have; of course He wants to see me happy! And of course He will do whatever it takes to put that smile on my face, it is no bother at all!!
I am humbled this morning coz I have realised something I should have a while back, something I guess I knew but never really knew, if that makes any sense: I have friends; real friends, I mean, the kind who are so much a part of me that seeing them happy is more than enough payment for the “favour” I just did or vice versa.
And humbled too coz I know that there is Someone out there who loves me more than any of them do, Who cares for me more than even I know, who has already paid the price for any favours he might do me...
God loves me...:)
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