Belonging To An Ideal Friend

A friend once asked me if I was a “mommy’s girl” or a “daddy’s girl.” For whatever reason, I felt embarrassed to tell her I was neither. “But!” I wanted to say, “I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.” It was one of those little situations — awkward — as if there might be a missing connection that was supposed to exist. It’s easy enough to make a joke and downplay the subject of being (or not being) connected.

It is, however, no joke that as a young person I sincerely wanted to be “God’s girl.” I prayed almost every night, asking God to help me be a fine Christian girl. Without a great understanding of what it would look like, that’s whose girl I wanted to be. I wanted an ideal friend.

I think it’s safe to say that most of us want to be connected. If being connected to an ideal friend — be it a parent, mate, buddy, or otherwise — feels right, then the opposite, being disconnected, doesn’t feel right. Something is missing.

Personally, I want to know that God loves me. Do you want the same thing, too?

Being loved, Being Connected

As the Beatles famously proclaimed, (Money), “can’t buy me love.” That’s because it’s an inside job.

There’s something relevant about being connected. Deep inside us there is a longing to find meaning and fulfillment in a relationship. Feeling love and being connected is important. Belonging to an ideal friend is important.

Do I belong and if so, to whom? It would be ideal if we had a friend who would never let us down. Friends, however, will fall short of the mark.

So, to whom do I belong that will never fail to be my ideal friend? Whose person am I? Whose person are you?

God’s Gonna Cut You Down?

Johnny Cash began his song, “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” by singing, “Run on for a long time. You can run on for a long time.” . . . then, in his deep, haunting voice, he spouted off a list of people to “go tell” (the rambler, the gambler, the back biter) . . . “Tell ’em that God’s gonna cut ’em down.”

It’s scary to think that God’s out to get us — certainly sounds like a warning to me. It’s a mentality that keeps us from connecting with God’s love.

Contrary to what the song’s title seems to imply: God is not out to get us. But he will bring us to our knees if we’re lucky, because that’s where we’ll surrender to his love. Google the lyrics. You’ll find that’s where God changes hearts.

“Go tell . . . the long tongue liar. Run on for a long time. Sooner or later God’ll cut you down.”

I Love How You Love Me

The Paris Sisters in the 1960s sung the song entitled “I Love How You Love Me.” Other artists since then have continued to melodically express the wonderful ways love makes them feel: “And when I’m away from you I love how you miss me.”

Along with the many other ways, the vocalists sum them up, simply stating: “I love how you love me,” suggesting love is felt in lots of ways but comes down to our just knowing love. Knowing what it feels like to be loved.

For me, that often looks like being fed when I’m hungry, spiritually hungry.

There’s a God who loves us and wants to be in a relationship with us. He desires to nurture us with the deep connectedness we long for — not little dribbles of favor reluctantly measured out, but overflowing favor. It’s available.

John 10:10 in the Bible says, “I (Jesus Christ) have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

The big question: Are you cooperating with the fact that God loves you?