The Value of Friendship by Guest Blogger Donna L.H. Smith

Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loves at all times. And a brother is born for adversity.” The Hebrew word for friend is re’a (ray-ah) Strong’s 7453 It means friend, companion, neighbor, fellowman, a familiar person. The present reference is a prescript for a healthy friendship; a friend should love at all times.

What are your friends like? Do they encourage you, support you, influence you in a positive way, bring out the very best in you; go out of their way to help you in time of need? Do they remember important events in your life? If you answered “yes” to these questions, then you’ve got some true

friendships.

We visited a friend in a retirement home. Kirby’s known this friend most of his life. I only met her about twenty-five or so years ago. Her name is Rochelle, and she is a treasure. We worked together on our local election board. We’d talked many times before I actually served on the board, first as a clerk, and eventually as judge of elections. Because of her vast experience on the board for many years, she was valuable in helping me to think ahead, especially after long lines of the 2004 Presidential election. She suggested we change the venue. Neither of us is still on the board, about three years ago, Rochelle fell and is now locally in a nursing home. This is the first time we saw her since her accident.

Prayer: Lord, help me be a friend today.