Too Busy for a Friend?

Last week I called a friend. Actually, I used to call and visit with this friend’s husband on a regular basis. I would especially call him while I was out fishing. Or, I would call him on my Bluetooth on the way to a fishing spot. Since I fish a lot, I talked a lot with this friend’s husband, especially on Mondays. Sadly, my friend’s husband passed away in December and he is with our Lord now. But, his widow, my friend whom I called last Monday, now lives alone. She does have loving family, and a caring church. But, when I talked to her after the funeral I asked her, “I used to talk with George on Monday’s. How about I check on you?” She said, “OK.” So I have now been calling her on Mondays to visit.

However, often when I have called this friend my call has gone unanswered. The lack of an answer is actually a good thing, because my friend is keeping busy with family and church. But, I have left messages for her to call me back, yet she had not called me back. When we did talk last week, having a really good conversation, I asked if she had received my phone calls and messages. She responded, “Yes. But you are so busy I didn’t want to call back and interrupt you in the middle of a class or something.” That answer caused me to pause, and even hurt, because I knew it was true. I told her, “George called me back at any time. If I couldn’t talk then, I would let him know. Then I would call him back later. You can call me anytime.”

Imagine being too busy for a friend. Or, imagine having a friend think you are too busy for them. And, I am even retired! (Sort of) I know I have always tried to keep active, and to actually be found doing my Lord’s work. I take to heart the words on Jesus in Matthew 24. “44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. 45 Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.” (Matthew 24:44-46) As Jesus also taught, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” I have taken seriously Jesus’ life call to be doing the work my master gave me. There is work to be done. After all, as Paul says, 57 . . . thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. Because God gives victory through the resurrection of Jesus, I want to “always give myself fully to the work of the Lord,” even in retirement. In my life, I have tried to make the world around me a better place than it was when I arrived, with varying degrees of success. But, . . . too busy for a friend?

There is work to be done. But when I stand before my Lord on Judgement Day, I am sure that one of the sins which I have committed is that of being “too busy.” I confess that if I see a job which needs doing, I try to make sure that job is addressed. I don’t necessarily try to do the whole job by myself, but I am part of an effort to do my Lord’s work. I served as full-time pastor at St. John for 28 ½ years. A lot of jobs build up and accumulate after 28+ years. Even though I was of retirement age, perhaps it was the burden of all those tasks for the Lord which needed addressing that helped in my decision to retire.

Now, back to my friend. In Mark 12 Jesus was asked about which commandment is the greatest. We hear Jesus’ reply in verses 29-31. “29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” In other words, an important part of loving the Lord our God is . . . loving others. Love takes time. Remember, “Love is . . . patient.” (I Corinthians 13:4)

The life of a child of God is a constant balancing act of trying to meet competing demands, or opportunities. So I have previously prayed, and I am again renewing my prayers, that our Lord will guide me to give to those I love all that they need from me. I pray that I especially, patiently, give them my time. I have not always done that well. Jesus gave His whole life for me. I pray that my Lord leads me to love Him, by being loving others, by being patient with others, and by giving of the time my Lord has given me . . . for others.