10-27-02 Sunday Journal
LAYING DOWN YOUR LIFE
By Dalton Roberts
IPS Features
Naman Crowe writes interesting
letters and there are several in my journal. One of my favorite things in a
friend is the ability to help me see an old issue in a fresh way. Naman can do
that.
In a one he gave me the concept that "to lay down our life for a friend
doesn't just have to mean jumping in front of a bullet. It could be we share the
best part of ourselves with our friends." It's more like laying ourselves
"open" for a friend.
There are times when our friends need us and we don't take the time to give
ourselves to them. To set aside what you are doing and go to a friend in need is
indeed laying down your life, setting it aside for your friend's rescue.
Friendship calls forth the best of us. When it is returned, it is one of life's
most holy relationships. Two people who spend their lives being available to
each other in all situations are something beautiful beyond words. At times our
actions may not justify such faithfulness. But true friends seldom weigh how
much they deserve each other. They are just there for each other all the time.
We all have at least one friend like that. If we do nothing else this day, we
should bow our hearts and be grateful for such a magnificent gift.
A DAY NOT IN VAIN
Doves are not the smartest birds in the bird kingdom. Once a Dove hung itself
and died on my patio trying to access a feeder not designed for it. I was
telling this story to a friend and he asked, "Don't Doves mate for
life?" and I told him they did, so he said, "Nothing that mates for
life can be very smart."
I don't know about that but I do know they make the worst nests of any birds.
Just a few twigs in the crook of a tree. Their babies are always falling out of
them and one day when I was going to work, I saw two babies on the ground. I
repaired the pile of twigs and put the nestlings back in their pitiful little
home. Later in the day, I saw their parent s feeding them.
I was thinking of this experience as I opened my journal this morning and found
this poem:
If I can stop one heart from breaking
I shall not live in vain.
If I can ease one heart the aching
Or cool one pain.
Or help one fainting Robin into his nest again
I shall not live in vain.
-30-