No matter what you had, Sammy had better.
Jerry learned this fact of life at a young age. He lived next to Sammy. He
played with Sammy every day. Although the grated on you at first, Sammy kind of grew
on you, Jerry thought.
He did not mind Sammy's bragging. Jerry felt that was just Sammy's way of
getting people to pay attention to him. Sammy was Jerry's best friend and you put up
with a lot from your best friend.
Sammy's family seemed to have a lot of money, and got Sammy just about everything he
wanted,, but it really did not seem like they wanted to spend a whole lot of time with
Sammy. If he got under his parents feet, they just got another toy, so he
would have something to do with his time.
Jerry, on the other hand, did not have all the new fad toys, clothes or even much money in
his pocket. But he was one of the happiest kids you ever wanted to meet.
Always had a smile on his face. Jerry had a kind word for everyone.
He spent a lot of time with his parents, a good chunk of it in the church. It was
like he had many sets of parents. The two he lived with, and the church parents he
saw throughout the week.
Jerry thought his life was normal, just as Sammy thought his was. The only problem,
Jerry did not have a lot to brag about from his life. What he had you could not show
off, but you sure could feel it. Down in places where it meant the most.
It was just another day of backyard bragging for Sammy.
Today he was telling Jerry about the new friend he had made.
"He is so tall," Sammy began. "When we play basketball he said
he would be on my team."
Jerry was starting to feel a little down. His best friend Sammy had made a new
friend, and from Sammy's bragging it sounded to Jerry that Sammy not only had a new friend
but a new BEST friend. The best best friend you could find in the whole wide world.
"He can jump high and he is strong," Sammy continued. "He runs faster
than anyone I have met of our age."
Jerry just listened. His face showed no expression but inside, he could feel the
heat beginning to grow. His eyes were starting to sting but he did not want
tears to fall. He did not want Sammy to see that he had opened a wound. That
finally, Sammy had found, and pushed, an emotional button.
Friendship is a big thing when you are little.
At seven years old, neither Jerry or Sammy had really accumulated a wide circle of
friends, so each and every one they had were valuable to them. This was the first
time that Sammy had used a friend to brag on. Jerry was used to hearing Sammy talk
about the "things" he had but now he was talking about a new best friends.
Then a glow came over Jerry's face. The sadness passed from him faster than the hot
water in a bathtub when you open the drain. Jerry's smile was so bright and his
attitude so positive that Sammy paused his "best friend" speech in mid-stream to
ask what was wrong with him.
"Nothings wrong," Jerry answered. "I just realized I have
a friend too."
"Yeah," said Sammy. "But does your friend want to spend time with you and
play?"
"My friend is always with me and looks out for me, not just when he feels like it but
all the time," Jerry explained.
"Well does he play with you"," Sammy asked.
"He watches over me when I play to make sure I do not stumble and fall,"
Jerry replied.
"Well, how about is He smart enough to help you with your homework?" ask Sammy.
"Yes, he strengthens me so I can do everything with His help," said Jerry.
"Who is this friend?" Sammy asked. "I never heard you even say anything
about him before."
"I should have," Jerry replied. "He is very special to me and his
name is Jesus."
Sammy looked puzzle. That was a name he had heard before but not one he knew much
about. The name of Jesus was not used much around his house.
"Yeah, I've heard His name before," Sammy replied. "But is he
as big and strong as my friend. How big is this Jesus of yours?"
Jerry did not say a word. He replied in the typical child's form of measurement.
"This is how big he is," Jerry said. And he spread his arms wide.
"And that is how much he loves me too."
That told the whole story as far as Jerry was concerned.
During the next week, Sammy introduced his new friend to Jerry. He was big, strong
and smart and the three boys not only turned out to be great friends when they were little
but grew into adulthood still cherishing a friendship, that now included their families.
And Jerry, he introduced his two friends to his best friend Jesus. And as the three
friends got older, they also grew in Christ. They knew not only did they have each
other as friends but what a friend they had in Jesus.
