Who is your nearby friend? I hope you have a few or many. And I hope they know your loyalty, appreciation and, yes, even your dependence upon them. The Ancient Proverbs identifies the nearby friend as one who is long-standing, perhaps with familial ties and geographically proximate (Prov.27:10-11).
For ministry to advance and mutuality to be exercised, how well-served to remember and rely upon deep, lasting friendships. An illustration was provided me of this truth as I recover from recent rotator cuff surgery. I almost overlooked one very nearby friend, who had been sorely unappreciated and under-used; namely, my left hand. You see, in my right hand dominant world the left was often left just a ‘dangling. A mere onlooker. Nay, never more. It is now evident and even incumbent upon my right, sling-bound arm to allow the left to do what it loves doing…and by design. In all matters of lid-twisting, knob-turning, and mouse-moving, I am awed and now more appreciative of this close-by “reliever”. I have come to a new-found respect for this one who was always nearby and so willing to serve. Even gifted that way. How self-serving and unappreciative I had become in my right-hand-dominant world. Hmm. Who knew such aid could be rendered and loyalty, expressed! Yes, and my appreciation? If it were an entire person, I would, with earnest, reinforce the tie that binds…with a bro-hug. And also to wait with anticipation when my turn might come to prove I, too ,am that nearby friend, with familial ties and proximate for service.
Oh, loved ones.: “do not forsake your friends….better a neighbor nearby…” than others further away.
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