Born for the Hard Times
Well now, friend, you come on and make your way right on up here on this ol’ front porch like you’re plum wanderin’ into a front yard where the rusty screen door is clatterin’ a happy welcome and the smell of peach preserves driftin’ from the kitchen floats out like it’s been trailin’ you through the holler since first light. Land sakes, I am so downright tickled that you made it over here for a lil’ ol’ stopover. If you were any more welcome, that onery goose that parades around like he is fixin’ to run for county office would flap right over and offer you the shiniest pebble he has tucked away. Pull up a chair, friend, because we are sho’‑nuff about to go traipsin’ into a truth sturdier than a fence post hammered into riverbank clay and sweeter than a fresh slice of watermelon chillin’ in a washtub of creek water.
Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” Life can go sideways faster than a lil’ ol’ barn cat tryin’ to outrun an ol’ Banty rooster that just found out somebody moved his feed pan. One minute you are walkin’ real easy, and the next you are plum tangled up wonderin’ how in the world you ever got yourself into such a mess.
That there’s exactly what happened the day my neighbor Earl and I set out to mend the back fence. Earl is the kind of friend that shows up before you finish askin’, usually carryin’ a toolbox and a tale you didn’t ask for but end up enjoyin’. We were strollin’ along when my boot caught a root stickin’ up like it was tryin’ to wave at somebody. Down I went, quicker than a lil’ ol’ squirrel jumpin’ off the wrong branch.
Most folks would panic or holler like a turkey that just spotted a fox. But Earl did somethin’ mighty remarkable. He plum stopped. He knelt down with the calm patience of an ol’ mule that knows exactly when to stand still. He helped me untangle my boot, made sure I hadn’t cracked anything important, and waited until I was good and steady again.
That there’s what years of walkin’ together produces. Scripture says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10). And the Lord deepens this truth with another verse. “Iron sharpeneth iron. So, a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17).
Real friendship don’t bolt when trouble comes showin’ up. It plum stops. It steadies. It stays.
Father, thank You for the gift of true friends. Help me be the kind of friend who stays, steadies, and strengthens. Teach me to walk faithfully beside others the way You walk faithfully beside me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Alright then, friend, may the Lord steady your heart today with the quiet confidence of a big ol’ tortoise makin’ its way across a meadow like it plum has all the time in the world. Let His kindness rest on you like the gentle hush that settles over a pond when the frogs decide it’s time for their evenin’ choir. And may His encouragement rise in you with the bright spark of a lil’ ol’ firefly catchin’ its first glow of the night. Wherever your day carries you, let His love guide your steps like a trusty ol’ milk cow wanderin’ home at dusk knowin’ exactly where she belongs. Go on now, friend, and be the kind of friend who plum stops, steadies, and stays.
With joy,
Gwen
