What a friend

When our eldest daughter was about three or four years of age, she had an imaginary friend. This relationship was not a brief and fleeting one, as you would normally expect. Wendy, pronounced Mendy by Tamara, was part of our lives for about eighteen months. Her presence was with us constantly. We had to be careful to acknowledge her at all times and to include her in all family plans. We had to be cautious of shutting the car door on her hand and to ensure that a chair was always ready for Mendy’s comfort. Mendy’s bedtime was coincidentally at the same time as Tami’s. Saying goodnight to Mendy was not an option, but mandatory. Mendy accompanied us on family trips and indeed was usually well behaved. I remember her well. Mendy disappeared from our lives as Tami began to explore the neighbourhood and made real friends. Their names were Beverly and Doreen or as Tami referred to them, Bef and Dream. I suspect the eldest child in a family may be more likely to have an imaginary friend. I thought of Mendy this morning for the first time in many years as I was contemplating the famous words penned by Joseph Scriven, a fellow Canadian, in 1855. The first verse of this famous hymn is as follows.

“What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!”

These words describe our need for a relationship with Jesus. It is this all important relationship that saves us, not religion. Jesus made the relationship so very clear; however, in one single and simple verse found in John 15:13.

13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

Jesus did exactly that for anyone who wishes to be called one of His friends. He voluntarily went to the cross in order to pay our ransom once and for all. Through His sacrifice, the sacrifice of God returned to earth, we are redeemed. We don’t get what we truly deserve, but through His grace we are assured heaven and an eternity with our friend, Jesus. “What a friend we have in Jesus.”

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