I guess I do not have as much time as I thought:-). I wanted to share many things with you that were on my mind, but right now I will talk about just one. Recently I translated for a team of American missionaries. So I was a part of conversation when girl from the States asked Russian guy (as they were talking about another person), "Is he your friend?" The guy responded, "No, he is my good acquaintance." It reminded me of my personal observations. Maybe it sounds strange to you that just two phrases caused me to write about friendship, but I will explain...It is very interesting to me that different cultures have different definitions and different understanding of seemingly simple things. And I am not going to go to the ancient Greek of the New Testament that has several definitions for just one word, I mean...you know all that:-). But this one thing I've noticed while living in the States: often times people would say "this is my friend" where in reality it was an acquaintance or even just a friendly person. I made a conclusion that this is a cultural thing, because for me and I know for most of the Russians, friend is a person, who is not just friendly or whom you know well. I am not truing to compare, it is just an observation. Correct me if I am wrong.
I was truing to figure out how friendship is defined in another culture, but I did not have enough time for that, so I am not quite sure. Besides the values can differ because of age, background, and things like that. One thing, I hope, I can state for sure: there is no way to make friendship happen. If one person desires friendship, but another does not, it will never work. And sometimes even when two people want to build a friendship it might not happen. I had this experience before, one person told me, "I want us to be friends", but it never really worked.
Friendship grows over time. It is not necessary to tell somebody, "I want to be your friend", just be a friend.
For me it is important to trust my friend, because it really hurts when you share with a person something very precious and then a while later, find out that others know about it too. I love honesty in my friend, kind and patient honesty and I really hate flattery. I love to listen, but sometimes I need to be listened to.
I am trying to be a good friend myself, but sometimes I discover that what I think is good, other people do not appreciate.
We have a saying in Russian, "Tell me who your friend is and I'll tell you who you are" , I wonder is this universal? I was thinking that this is how many Jewish religious leaders judged Jesus, He could not be the Messiah for them, because of His friends - tax collectors, fishermen, prostitutes, lame, blind, leprous - that is the social outcast of those days. But if to turn it the other way then all these people had one true Friend. When He called them His friends for some "righteous" it sounded horrible, but when they would say "Jesus is our Friend" ...I am just truing to imagine how their faces would light up with a smile as they were saying it. Even now I am thinking about that Jesus is my Friend too. Who am I? Well, just a person living in Moscow and not too many people know about me and some who know, maybe do not really want to know:->, but Jesus is my Friend and He is your Friend too. How does it feel? Isn't it beautiful, wonderful, amazing...pick more words still it will be indescribable.
I am glad that I have Jesus as my Friend, I can tell Him anything and He will listen, but never tell anyone else. I can be myself with Him and He receives me the way I am, but always corrects me gently when I am being nutty. I can trust Him always, I can be sure that He is there to help when difficulty comes. O, yes, He never misunderstands me:-) I love this about my Friend. I can say so much more but it is getting late.
Blessings to you my friend from my Dear Friend Jesus!
I was truing to figure out how friendship is defined in another culture, but I did not have enough time for that, so I am not quite sure. Besides the values can differ because of age, background, and things like that. One thing, I hope, I can state for sure: there is no way to make friendship happen. If one person desires friendship, but another does not, it will never work. And sometimes even when two people want to build a friendship it might not happen. I had this experience before, one person told me, "I want us to be friends", but it never really worked.
Friendship grows over time. It is not necessary to tell somebody, "I want to be your friend", just be a friend.
For me it is important to trust my friend, because it really hurts when you share with a person something very precious and then a while later, find out that others know about it too. I love honesty in my friend, kind and patient honesty and I really hate flattery. I love to listen, but sometimes I need to be listened to.
I am trying to be a good friend myself, but sometimes I discover that what I think is good, other people do not appreciate.
We have a saying in Russian, "Tell me who your friend is and I'll tell you who you are" , I wonder is this universal? I was thinking that this is how many Jewish religious leaders judged Jesus, He could not be the Messiah for them, because of His friends - tax collectors, fishermen, prostitutes, lame, blind, leprous - that is the social outcast of those days. But if to turn it the other way then all these people had one true Friend. When He called them His friends for some "righteous" it sounded horrible, but when they would say "Jesus is our Friend" ...I am just truing to imagine how their faces would light up with a smile as they were saying it. Even now I am thinking about that Jesus is my Friend too. Who am I? Well, just a person living in Moscow and not too many people know about me and some who know, maybe do not really want to know:->, but Jesus is my Friend and He is your Friend too. How does it feel? Isn't it beautiful, wonderful, amazing...pick more words still it will be indescribable.
I am glad that I have Jesus as my Friend, I can tell Him anything and He will listen, but never tell anyone else. I can be myself with Him and He receives me the way I am, but always corrects me gently when I am being nutty. I can trust Him always, I can be sure that He is there to help when difficulty comes. O, yes, He never misunderstands me:-) I love this about my Friend. I can say so much more but it is getting late.
Blessings to you my friend from my Dear Friend Jesus!
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