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By Betsy Ore Glass

This is my commandment: that you love one another [just] as I have loved you. No one has greater love [no one has shown stronger affection] than to lay down (give up) his own life for his friends. John 15:12-13

The definition of a friend is a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard. It is nice to have a friend. Some friendships last a lifetime while others last for a little while. They each have their purpose. We can have friendships with almost anyone. The criteria for friendship is to be able to trust and respect each other as the mutual affection grows. Some of my little friends are school age while others are seniors who have lived their life and aren’t afraid to share their wisdom, thank heavens! The friends my own age keep me posted on current events and my younger friends, well I do my best to keep up with them! I think of my pets as friends, too. Friends touching lives and mine has surely been touched!

The deep friendships are the ones that mean you can call in the middle of the night and it is okay. You can tell your deepest secrets to that person and you know you won’t be judged. You can share your fears with them and they listen while you sort through it out loud. To have a friendship like this is one of the many joys in life. Some folks mistake acquaintances for friends, but if you have ever had or been a friend, you know the difference. Ralph Waldo Emerson is quoted as saying, “The only way to have a friend is to be one.” Words so true!

I am reminded of the old hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” Some of the lyrics are, “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!” He is our truest friend. When friendships end or people pull away from us for unspoken reasons, it is a comfort to know that God is there for us. We are commanded by God to love at all times. Today, I will tell my friends that I love them and ask God’s Blessings over them.

Betsy Ore Glass has long-standing ties to the Outer Banks. From Virginia Beach, her family bought a vacation cottage in the 60s and her love of the area began. Later in the 90s, Betsy and her husband bought a weekend cottage and introduced the area to their children. Then Betsy’s parents retired to KDH where the family gathered often. Reach her at betsyglass1@gmail.com or read additional Reflections at www.betsyoreglass.com.

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