The Blessin’ of a Real Friend
If you’ve ever watched a bullfrog try to hop onto a lily pad that’s way too small for him, then you already know life can get awkward real quick. So, take a lil’ ol’ moment to ease on up here on this front porch, friend, and let your heart take a deep, settle‑your‑bones breath. Sometimes you just need a quiet place to sit for a spell, listen to the breeze rustlin’ through the pines, an’ watch a nosy chipmunk argue with a blue jay over who owns the birdbath. It’s in moments like these that Scripture slips in gentle as a sunrise, remindin’ us of truths sturdier than an oak tree with roots older than your granddaddy’s tractor. Proverbs 27:6 says, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” An’ that truth is safer than the North Star guidin’ travelers who ain’t sure where their feet are takin’ ‘em.
If this ol’ world starts to wobblin’ like a three‑legged goat on a frozen pond, you’re gonna need the kind of friend who stands steady. The Lord plants those friends in our lives long before we know we’ll be needin’ ‘em. A true friend stays with you through the thick, the thin, and the days when you feel more tangled up than a coonhound caught in a blackberry thicket. Thank the Lord for this priceless blessin’ if you’ve got one of them rare treasures.
But there’s another side to friendship folks don’t talk about much. It’s the kind o’ friend that loves you enough to tell you the truth even when you don’t want to hear it. A real friend knows how to pick the right moment, the right tone, and the right words. An’ friend, that kind o’ honesty can sting real bad like a poke from a thorn bush, but it heals deeper than any sweet‑talk ever could. That’s where Proverbs 27:9 steps in gentle as a summer breeze. “Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.” A real friend knows when to speak truth, but they also know when to cover your flaws instead of broadcastin’ ‘em like a rooster who just discovered he’s got a new audience. Fair‑weather friends scatter like chickens when the hungry hawk comes flyin’ over. Real friends stay ‘round, even if it means steppin’ right out onto the battlefield with you.
Where do trusted friends come from? First, they’re very special gifts from God. Don’t toss ‘em aside. Second, they’re proven over time, through lean days and good ones, too. Third, they share your spiritual heartbeat. They believe what you believe and walk it out right there beside you. I’m thinkin’ you can even see that there friend in your mind right now. Pray for ‘em every single day. Thank God for ‘em every single day. And maybe even call ‘em up today.
Father, thank You for friends who love us enough to tell us the truth. Help us treasure them, pray for them, and be that kind of friend in return. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A‑fore you git to wanderin’ off this porch and gittin’ back into a world where the lil’ ol’ squirrels run their own circus and the crows act like they’re holdin’ staff meetin’s, take this here truth with you, friend. Real friends are real rare. Real friends are real honest. Real friends are sho’nuff God‑sent blessin’s. Real friends are pure joy. An’ when you cherish ‘em, they’ll shine and sparkle in your life even brighter than a whole big ol’ field of fireflies dancin’ ‘round under the light o’ a full moon.
With joy,
Gwen
