FRIENDS DON'T LET FRIENDS

You should never rent out (let) friends.  You need them.  All.  If you rent them out to others, they may find them more appealing and you lose altogether, so I stand by my animus.

Originally stated, "Friends don't let friends drive drunk," and it's always been excellent advice.  It's been altered so many times.  "Friends don't let friends vote Democrat," or "Friends don't let friends be Cub fans."  Just two examples.

Actually, "Friends don't let friends____________."  Fill in the blank.

I'd fill in the blank today with--down.  Yearbooks and greeting cards are filled with those sentiments.  Best Friends Forever.  Too often, they are cliches, perhaps well meaning, but lost in reality.  Lost in time, place, circumstance.

When you are fortunate enough to reach my age, one disconcerting thing is that I've seen a lot of my friends die.  Starting with my grandparents when I was very young.  Then a Sunday School friend of mine died right by my locker in Junior High.  Last week I lost another friend.  This one to a heart attack.

He once told me he believed in God because if he didn't and there was a God, then he'd be doomed.  He added that if there wasn't God, then all he'd suffered in this life was to do the right things, the good things.  Those were junior college days when thoughts tended to be more surface, survival level, but I've always remembered that conversation.

I'm not sure that simplified faith, if it is faith at all, is all that it takes.  No, that's not true.  I'm sure that it takes more to spend eternity with the Lord Jesus, but for a seeker, for an entry-level believer maybe that was a start to a long Christian life.  In his case, I really don't know, but it's in no way up to me.

So where am I going and how will I end this entry?  I hadn't seen my friend Bob for 5 years.  Before that, probably 10. Before that probably 20.  But I'd sure like to see him in Heaven.  Along with my grandparents, and Mike--the junior high boy.  Along with a whole bunch of other friends and acquaintances. 

I'm convinced there is a heaven and hell.  And "friends don't let friends go to hell."