Henceforth, I call you "Friend"

Some things you won't see on my time line:

I do not post pictures (for the most part) that prompt people to "Say Amen!", or "Like if you believe..." or...

"If you are still my friend, respond to this..."

If you are my friend, you are here already. I keep an eye out for everyone every day. I don't need validation. Besides, If you are not responding to my posts and you have not blocked me yet, I just assume that you haven't been on facebook in awhile, or you don't have the time due to other circumstances, or that you are no longer able. I don't defriend you because of it. I don't have enough friends to have to do that. No one gets turned away unless your profile doesn't check out when I get the friend request. Period.

And, Jesus doesn't need people who proclaim Him as Lord, yet doesn't live it. Saying Amen and liking a post doesn't mean you actually live for Him. It's like going to church on Sunday just so you can call yourself a Christian, yet not changing anything in your life Monday through Saturday to reflect it. So, I don't do that.

I also don't respond to "Send this to 10 people to show me...or you'll have good luck...or something bad will happen if you don't." It's a waste of time. I believe everything is in God's Hands, and the fact that you are my friend should be enough. Sending a post doesn't prove who will be there when the chips are down.

And, when people aren't there when I need them to be doesn't warrant a block, or a de friending. I assume that you just don't have what I need, or that you, yourself are in need of prayer and help. My friends are not my friends based on what they can do for me. If I don't get what I ask for, I assume that God has other plans. Period.

And, that's a two way street. I may not respond to your needs. If I don't, it's because either I didn't see the post, or I didn't have what you need, or because circumstance did not make it possible for me to help you. Believe me, I would be there if there was anyway in the world I could. But I can only give what God has given me to give. Period.

Jesus certainly didn't choose me based on what I have. After all, He is the one providing for all of my needs in the end.He chose me based on what He could do for me. He loves me just because He created me. And I don't choose to follow Him because I expect an answer to all of my prayers. He answers all of my prayers. Sometimes the answer is "No", and I have learned that He knows what's best for me in the end. I trust Him regardless of what He does for me. I praise him through my tears as well as my laughter.

I want to be more like Jesus. Therefore, I don't choose my friends based on what they can do for me, or on what they have. I choose them because exist, and because Jesus loved them enough to die on a cross for them, and rose again to give them hope. I want people to see what Jesus is doing in MY life, so they can have hope that He can do it in theirs. I can't do that by getting angry because people are different from me, or don't have it to give, or don't respond, and I can't do that if my friends can't see it.

Just saying...

John 15:15
“Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”