A Better Friend

When Jesus walked the streets of this world, one of the things He said was, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Later, he upped the ante by commanding us to, "Love one another, even as I have loved you." That raises the bar pretty high, but most of us like to think that we’re kind to everyone and we do a decent job of caring for the people around us. Recently our next door neighbor passed away. Now, he is older and had been sick for a long time so it didn’t come as a great surprise. However, his passing caused me to reconsider how little love and support I had offered to he and his wife during the years. In fact, despite all my lofty words, despite how good a friend I may actually have been to others in my life, I realized that I barely had any relationship with the people who lived next door. Worse yet, other neighbors down the street had been sick, and even died, without my even learning their names. Basically, I haven’t been much of a neighbor at all. Even within my family and group of closer friends I had come through for some folks and completely abandoned others. Sometimes it take something more dramatic to help us realize our shortcomings. This was my something. It’s no secret that I have a lot to say and plenty of advice for everyone else, yet there comes a time for all of us to take the bitter pill of our own experience. Are you like me? Do you have people in your life who need you, who would like to count on you, but you just can’t seem to get around to them? Well, we can’t help everybody. Some folks, however, don’t even call their parents or the obvious folks in their lives. Now I’m not talking from the soap box success here. I’m actually hitting myself over the head with that soap box. However, it’s never too late to become the people we really want to be. In fact, today would be a good day to begin. Today would be a good day to be a better friend.

A Better Friend
I could have been a better friend
Alas, now it cannot be
My next door neighbor died this week
Along with the opportunity
To be a better friend to him
And to love my neighbor well
The way my Lord commanded me
But my good intentions fell
Far short of all my lofty words
And the best intentions I
Aspired to so boisterously
As the days and weeks slipped by
Is there someone you have meant to call
Or who needs your help today
Take the time to be a better friend
Lest the chance should slip away
By Frank Carpenter ©