Kids

FRIENDS FOREVER

BY JASON BUSCH

It was a day like any other that summer. I woke up early to hang out with my friend, JJ, for a bit since his mom had to work early, then headed off to the summer day camp we went to each year. Once there, we’d do the things we always did - have worship, play dodgeball, swim, watch a movie, play more dodgeball, swim again, then hang out at his house once his mom picked us up. The only difference between this day and any other that summer was that it was the last day of camp, and being 13-years-old meant I was too old to come back the next year. This was the day we had to say our goodbyes and promise that we’d hang out during the school year. But, my friends and I were sure that we’d stay friends forever and that high school wouldn’t change us.

The thought of regularly seeing the friends who I’d gone to summer camp with since I was in Kindergarten soon faded. JJ’s family moved to another area so he could attend a different public high school while I went to the Seventh-day Adventist school down the road. Another friend, Sean, and I were close in middle school and attended the same high school, but soon started spending time with other people and slowly drifted apart. That friend group who I’d grown so close to simply became a good memory.

Some of you may remember similar experiences, or perhaps are going through something like this right now. If so, know that the end of one thing is often the beginning of another. When I got to high school, my interests and hobbies began to change. While it was sad to leave friends behind, the new ones I made helped create some of my best memories - even if it was just eating at Taco Bell during our lunch break or deciding whose house to be at on the weekends. And I’m still friends with a couple of them to this day.

The great part for us is that, while making friends can sometimes be hard, God knows exactly what we need and when we need it. Friends are great, and I try to cherish the time we spend together; but, when you make Jesus your best friend, then you will truly have a forever friend. Because while I’m lucky to have a few amazing friends, even they can let us down sometimes. Jesus, however, is a friend who promises to never let us down. Deuteronomy 31:6 tells us that, “The Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” That’s the kind of friend we should all strive to be, and the kind that Jesus already is for us. So today, take a moment to thank your friends for being in your life, and thank Jesus for calling us His friends forever.