THE MAKING OF
FRIENDS by Edgar A. Guest
If nobody smiled and
nobody cheered and nobody helped us along,
If each every minute
looked after himself and good things all went to the strong,
If nobody cared just
a little for you, and nobody thought about me,
And we all stood
alone in the battle of life,
What a dreary old
world this would be!
Life is sweet
because of the friends we have made and the things which in common we share;
We want to live on
not because of ourselves, but because of the people who care;
It's giving and
doing for somebody else - on that all life's splendor depends,
And the joy of this
world, when you've summed it all up,
Is found in the
making of friends.
As I make efforts to deepen my friendships, I have realized more and more that everyone has struggles. Everyone has trials. Everyone has sins that they find difficult to overcome. However, the fact that everyone has these things does not discount how hard they are. Rather, I point this out as a motivation for all of us to genuinely care for each other and help one another through our trials.
There are questions that I ponder about often and sins that I find very hard to overcome. I know that each person is different, and that we experience a different set of trials. However, I have faith that God has a plan for each of us and great blessings in store for us as we face our trials with trust in Him. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we also might be glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:16-18).
All of us suffer in different ways, but our mortal experience is individually tailored to enable us to become who we are meant to be as children of God. "Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect" (3 Nephi 12:48). I know that this refining, sanctifying, perfecting process is possible through the Atonement that Jesus Christ made for each and every one of us. Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has enabled me to gain a deep understanding of the plan that God has for me and for each one of His children. My membership in the LDS Church has also helped me to see that Jesus Christ is at the center of that plan - that without Him, we would not be able to overcome our sins and return to live with God after this life.
We do not stand alone in the battle of life - we have our friends, family, and God on our side. I know that as we serve each other, we are serving God (Mosiah 2:17). As we serve others, and therefore serve God, we come to know Him personally (Mosiah 5:13). As we come to know God through this service, we will become like Him and be given the greatest of all the gifts of God - eternal life. To know God and Jesus Christ is eternal life (John 17:3).
I hope that everyone who reads this post takes the opportunity to deepen at least one friendship this week. Learn something new about one of your friends, and try to see how you could give service to them to relieve a burden or worry that they have. Don't even worry about asking, "Is there anything I can do for you?" A simple, unexpected act of service that fills any need that you've recognized will certainly brighten their day and make you feel closer to them.
Here's an added challenge - if the act of service you decide to perform isn't something they need to be present to receive, see whether you can do it without them knowing it was you! Somehow anonymity seems to put an added measure into the joy of giving service (Click here to read a talk that describes that principle).
