Friend

FLOWERS OF FRIENDSHIP

And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.  Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. 

1 Samuel 18:3,4

The bus reverberated with the excitement and clamor of nearly 30, kindergarteners. I remember each face stained with sweet sticky farewell treats awarded from the ‘soon to be’ relieved teachers. As we impatiently awaited our release from the 4-wheeled dungeon to wreak havoc on the neighborhood something vexed me severely. It’s 3:20 in the afternoon the sun is nowhere near it’s decent and just as it is scorching, I too am set ablaze with anger against Robert Sernage, my mischievous some timing childhood friend.

I ignore the fact that this is the last day of school and there are many things to contemplate, but there’s just nothing more predominant than to tighten my hand and punch Robert square in the face.  As the bus exits Harvey Kindergarten school grounds I feel my heart pounding, matching that to a rhythmical percussion of war drums.

As the bus turns the corner of Aims and Barataria Blvd the rear wheels brush slightly off the road spraying a mist of sand and tiny rocks into the air. Not too much to visually impair the other trailing buses but just enough to create a thin cloud of soot to layer the windshield of other drivers. For a moment I feared that this time Mr. Ford was definitely going to put this yellow boat into a ditch. At that thought I momentarily forgot the plans I had for Robert immediately following the school years final bus exodus.

As I thought about some of the childhood memories, I realized how delicate and fragile friendships can be. As I read about the fraternal bond between David and Jonathan there is a quiet revelation as to how we should treat the one we call friend. Their should exist a mutual affection. In sympathy did Jonathan bore David’s burden, Galatians 6:2,3 states, bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

I remember a poem my Mother had on her wall that I  love to read  although it’s committed to memory I nonetheless enjoy seeing  the written words on the plaque: The flowers of friendship are rooted in sweet memories nurtured through joy and through sorrow…they grow in shared love and laughter and bloom in the bright hope of tomorrow.  

A greater friend is a good thing to have but their in no greater friend than Christ…Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13 

 John 10:11
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 
 1 John 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
1 John 3:15-17

Robert was a great friend, I loved going to his house during summer break sand watching his dad   repair old fishing nets. Although I often wondered why he wouldn’t just get new ones, they were only nets. My inquisitive perplexity was ordered as such: “Why spend hours and hours repairing these fishy smelling, algae soiled, disgusting tangled things?”  I guess he was just that type of guy, frugal and resourceful, this is good. Besides, what did I really know about fishing anyway, maybe the fish like that sort of thing, foolishly hopping right on in sacrificing themselves in such nets of repugnance.  His father, Mr. Sernage was a tall and robust man who never smelled like anything but fish, brewed beverages, and cigars; a repulsive combination I thought, but nevertheless I looked forward to visiting Robert and his Dad all summer long enjoying our friendship that often experienced it’s teeter totter moments. 

The bus finally stops and most of the kids knew that Robert and I had a love/hate relationship so the expectations weren’t very high. Usually our altercations ended well, truth is that we were friends more than enemies and that seemed to disappoint the guys on my block who anticipated a good fight, but as usual we dashed their hopes.