Disposable Friends

Read: John 15:13-15 Cara took her cookie and a glass of milk into the utility room where Mom was folding laundry. “Mom, can I invite Amber over?” she asked. “She’s my new friend.” Cara dunked the cookie into her milk. Mom added a towel to the stack on the dryer. “And you probably want to invite Jasmine too, right?” Cara shook her head. “No, I don’t want her over. We had a fight. Anyway, Amber is much more popular.” “Oh?” Mom frowned slightly as she handed Cara a stack of towels. “Take these to the bathroom, please.” As Cara set her milk on the dryer, Mom asked, “Are Kenzie and Madison still your friends?” Cara shrugged. “They’re okay, I guess, but Amber’s more fun.” She turned to leave. “Hey, Mom, can I—oops!” Cara’s arm bumped the glass of milk, and it poured down the side of the dryer. “Sorry!” Cara set the stack of towels down and picked up the one on top to wipe up the spilled milk. “Don’t use that clean towel!” Mom said. She quickly pulled paper towels from the roll on the wall. “Here, use these.” Cara sopped up the milk and threw the paper towels into the trash. Mom watched thoughtfully. “Paper towels are pretty handy,” she said. “They’re disposable. Just use them and toss them.” Cara nodded. “That’s what’s good about them.” “Yes, but what’s not good is that you’ve been treating your friends like paper towels,” said Mom. “You seem to think it’s okay to use them and throw them away. What if Jesus treated us like we were disposable? If He threw us out whenever we got smudged with sin? But He’ll never do that because we’re valuable to Him. He loves us and promises to clean us when we get dirty. And He wants you to treat your friends like they’re valuable too.” She pointed to the fluffy yellow towel on top of the stack. “When a friendship gets smudged, clean it with love and forgiveness.” Cara thought about that as she picked up the stack of fresh, clean-smelling towels. “Can I invite Amber and Jasmine and Kenzie and Madison over?” she asked. “All of them?” Mom laughed. “All right. Invite all of them. The more the merrier!” –Barbara J. Westberg How about you? Do you spend time repairing and maintaining your friendships? Or if a friendship gets smudged, do you just toss it and move on? Friends are among the many blessings God gives us. Friendships are so important that Jesus calls those who trust and obey Him His friends. So value your friends the way Jesus values His. Care for the friends you have, and make new ones too! Today's Key Verse: Never abandon a friend. Proverbs 27:10 (NLT) Today's Key Thought: Value your friends