“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”

We often see and hear this verse when someone is talking about their closest friends. That is quite an honor—to be known as that kind of friend. The depth of this truth goes to places some of us don’t even realize exist, at least not until we actually experience it. The lifelong friend standing next to me when my wife took her final breath on this planet was the same one on his knees in Honduras while I was receiving a new kidney and pancreas in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the same one sitting next to me when my oldest son went home to be with his mom. When I lost a job I thought I would retire from, he sat with me and worked through what God was doing in that moment. Through loss and celebration, for over 50 years, he has always been there—with a word of encouragement, to share a tear, or to get angry wth me over wrongs that were done. We are so close that, although we don’t share blood, we have shed some together. My kids know him as their uncle. Jesus is the model for this kind of friendship, and many people have served in that role throughout my journey. I hope they are in yours, and that you are in theirs. Today, be a friend. #BeTheEdge

“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:10 NIV