A friend doesn’t use the drive-thru …

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This morning I read a story about a pastor traveling with a Brazilian seminary student. Along the way the pastor asked the student if he would like to stop for a cup of coffee.

“I would be honored,” answered the student.

So the pastor turned his car into a Starbucks parking lot, and then proceeded to go through the drive-thru.

Once on their way the student was very quiet and when pressed about his silence he said, “I thought you were asking me to be your friend. I thought we were going to sit together and share life.”

Never in my experience as a clinical therapist have I seen such an epidemic of loneliness. There are so many who lonelylong for the warm fellowship of genuine friendship, and we all too often respond with a “drive-thru” response.

You can’t share life together by choosing the drive-thru. Real friendship requires putting something else aside to make time for a friend. If you truly value someone, that will be shown by making them a part of your priorities. The first church modeled for us what a vibrant friendship looks like, as scripture tells us these Christians were devoted to fellowship …

“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer,” Acts 2:42.

If you continue to read on from this verse, you’ll learn more about how these believers made time for each other and spent time together.

Yes, I know the 21st century mantra about how busy we all are, how much we all have to do, etc., etc.

Let’s cut to the chase: If you’re too busy for friendship, you’re too busy, and you would benefit by changing your priorities so that you can be a good friend and enjoy the fellowship of friendship. I’m not necessarily talking about doing something radical — we’re all in charge of our own calendars, and nothing goes onto it that we don’t write in. So don’t write in so much. Leave some space for friendship.

If making time to be a friend DOES mean you’ll have to do something radical regarding your priorities, then do something radical! Friendship is one of those priceless gifts AND blessings that we simply must make some time for. I doubt that you will have any real regrets making time to enjoy friendship and time to be a good friend to others.

Scotty