One of life’s basic needs is friendship. We all need and want someone who will listen to us, cry with us, rejoice with us and be there whatever the occasion. We seek someone who is trustworthy kind gentle yet fun loving and patient. Friendships are formed at a very young age and many continue for a lifetime.

A friend I met in seventh grade continues to live in western Canada. We hadn’t seen each other in many years but when we attended our high school reunion it was almost like we’d never been apart!

A hug, a handclasp, or a touch on the shoulder is a friendship clue. We may shake hands with strangers, but we usually reserve the more intimate gestures for friends. What a delightful bond this is, a reassurance of a deep relationship, to feel the touch of a friend or loved one. How often has a friend or relative approached with the words, “I need a hug!”

So it is when our lives touch others with a touch of God’s love. It may be a physical touch or it may be a “soul” touch.

John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” Friendship is not to be taken lightly! Proverbs 17:17 —“A friend loves at all times.” This sounds like a family relationship.

Proverbs 18:24 tells of another friend, “but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” That friend is Jesus. He never leaves or forsakes us. He is there for every heartache, disappointment and need.

We sometimes waffle in our relationships. We may get angry with a friend and distance ourselves or, in extreme cases, even turn against them. But our friend Jesus never fails. He continues to forgive and love us. May we follow his example.