Friends

One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven." Luke 5:17-20

What a wonderful blessing the paralytic man was given that day. To be able to walk again is certainly a miracle, but the another blessing took place before the healing. God sent wonderful friends to the man's aid. Friends with love and determination to do whatever they could to help their friend get to the one who could make it all happen.

I can still remember the first time I heard that Gospel proclaimed. Oh, I knew the story, but this time when I heard it, words took on new meaning.

I recalled an annual trip I had taken with a group of my high school friends. It was a long week-end get away, and right before leaving I began suffering from a muscle and joint ailment and I could barely walk. My friends were so kind and concerned, and the following year when the ailment was diagnosed as Hodgkins Lymphoma, their concerns doubled.

Right after I returned home from the trip I heard the story of the paralytic read. I began picturing my friends doing the same for me. I knew if it were in their power to get me to Jesus, they would.

I can't help but look at this picture and think of those wonderful friends. When I look at their hands holding on to each other I am reminded of a game we used to play. We would cris-cross our arms and grasp hands with another, and our arms would form a seat. While we couldn't lift our friend alone, two of us working together made the burden light and we could carry our friend effortlessly all around the playground.

And the truley amazing thing is that those friends, each in their own unique way, has gotten me closer to the healing hand of God.

I am so thankful that God knew which friends would be my life line to him. Thank you God for the gift of their friendship. Help me Lord, to always be that same kind of friend