Thank You For Being a Friend!
Rev. Deb Hill-Davis
Is there anyone here who isn’t familiar with this show? A sitcom about 4 women living together, and sharing their life experiences. 4 completely different personalities. In the same house! Through thick and thin, they called themselves friends. There were many spiritual truths taught in that show.
There was:
- Sophia - A woman who was seeped with traditional values and family rituals.
- Dorothy - A no holds barred attitude and she would express strict, logical conclusions. She was the sensible on. She was straightforward and to the point.
- Blanche - This character was ever fun loving and spontaneous. She was full of personality and flirty!
- Rose - The naïve and gentle soul. She was an optimist, loyal and saw the best in everyone.
If we consider the friends we have, how many of them would have these qualities?
Consider this: Every attribute, oh yes even the peculiar ones, that you notice in your friends, whether you realize it or not, you have. Friends are a mirror – they are showing you, your potential. The hidden gems in your spirit.
How about this? Take the Title, “Golden Girls”. The Truth is right there. In checking with one of our 12 Powers, the color “Gold” represents “Understanding”, Gold= Understanding . Metaphysically, it represents spiritual gifts. The riches of spirit.
Girls, and I used the word women - in checking the Revealing Word, Girls = Women. The feminine nature in us, our emotions, feeling; typifies love in the soul not yet developed and established in substance. Not yet developed. We surround ourselves with friends with those qualities our subconscious sees or feels and wishes to develop. If we check in with Proverbs, we hear it again.
Proverbs 27:17
“Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens the wits of another.”
We call on our friends to bounce ideas around or when needing advice. Sometimes we just need a sounding board when life presents challenges, or we have great news, they are the first to know. These friends are precious to us. They hold the light for us when we can’t find our light within. Our friends’ best qualities are our potential in our subconscious. We even pick and choose a specific friend for a specific moment. We will call on a friend who is a good listener when we need someone to talk to. If we want to go for a hike, or a walk, we pick a friend who likes the outdoors. Some of us even have workout partners. Those friends teach us how to shine. "Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." - Anais Nin
Again, we see understanding, love in the soul not yet developed and established in substance. A world within us, a part of us wanting to develop but we haven’t noticed it until we see it in a friend. Now that we see what we can develop within us; how do we share it with others once we have awakened those wonderful qualities? How do we pass on the friendship and allow ourselves to become the mirror for others to see themselves? Jesus, our master teacher says this:
John 15:13
My command is this: "Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."
To lay down ones life means, to stop and pause your busy do-ings in life and be the light. To be a friend, is to take a moment to be there for someone who may need to feel or see that great strength within you. You are Golden! You have riches of spirit. Allow your friends to see through the mirror that you are now, so that they may have the understanding of who they are developing to be.
Sirach 6:15 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Apocrypha
"Faithful friends are beyond price; no amount can balance their worth. Share your spiritual gifts. They are priceless! Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend." - Albert Camus