Proverbs 18:24
Some friends don't help, but a true friend is closer than your own family.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Another favorite book of Timothy’s these days is titled Slobcat. It’s the story of a little girl and her cat. The family named him Slobcat because they think he is lazy. The story shows Slobcat doing all sorts of things – rescuing a baby kitten from deep water, scaring away snakes and predatory birds in the garden, batting a ball out of the way so that the mother doesn’t trip and fall, and much more. But in each instance, the family doesn’t notice the good things that Slobcat does.
Instead, they see a cat who is constantly under foot rather than one who protects them. They see a cat who is too lazy to come in out of the rain – not one who rescues kittens from deep water. Basically, the family fails to recognize what a good friend and companion Slobcat is to each of them.
What about us? Do we recognize our real friends? Do we realize who truly has our back through thick and thin… who cares about us and keeps our confidence? Have we chosen our friends wisely and acknowledged how important these good, true friends are in our lives?
So often, we are like the little girl in the story and her family. We go through life taking our truest friends for granted… or failing to recognize them in the first place. We run after people we want to be our friends… we seek relationships that are not in our best interest – and downright unhealthy in some cases - while foregoing the attention and devotion of those who genuinely care about our well-being. We fail to acknowledge the countless ways a true friend cares for us on a regular basis… and sometimes – just like Slobcat’s family – we assume the opposite.
Shouldn’t we take a look around and see if we have mistakenly labeled a genuine friend in our lives as a “Slobcat”? Can you identify your true friends these days? Have you thanked God for bringing them into your life… and have you thanked these individuals for their friendship and devotion? It only takes a few minutes to send an e-mail, make a phone call, or drop a note to your friends and let them know how blessed you feel that God has placed them in your life. Isn’t today a perfect time to do just that?
©2011 Debbie Robus
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