The Kind of Friend We All Need

This is a story of two friends out for a long mountain hike. 

During the hike, the friends had an argument. One friend slapped the other in the face. 

The one on the receiving end was hurt, but without saying a word, wrote in the sandy path - “Today, my best friend slapped me in the face.” 😳

The two friends continued forward until they came to an area where the river had pooled and decided to stop and rest.  As they waded into the refreshing pool the friend that was previously slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning. 

But, his friend saved him. 

After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone - “Today, my best friend saved my life.” 

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked, “after I hurt you, you wrote in the sand, and now, after I saved you, you write on a stone. Why?”

The other friend replied, when someone hurts us we should write it down in the sand where the winds of forgiveness can erase it away. 

When someone does something good for us we should and must engrave it in stone. Where no wind can ever erase it. 🌟

Lessons within:

✅ It’s good to have a great friend to “slap” you in the face every once in a while. In the moments you weren’t your best and they tell you the truth to set you straight. And that same friend to “rescue you from drowning” in the very same day. 

✅ It would be naive to say the “slaps” don’t hurt. Of course they do. You are human. 

However, resentment, hurt, disappointments need to be written in the sand. Don’t etch it on your heart. Let the winds of forgiveness eventually erase the hurt away. 

✅ Make sure to get this straight. A slap…write it on sand. A rescue…stone, not sand. 

Many can get this backwards and when they do, it will cause unnecessary strife and possible tragedy. 

We have all been wronged by another person – It stings. 

Many of us have experienced hurt, setbacks, disappointments, financial struggles, despair, and relationship challenges. No fun in those either.

✅ But, forgiveness is far more about us than it is those that hurt us. 💯

We must not forget that the enemy does everything to Keep us from our best that God has planned for us. 

Forgiveness is a wonderful and freeing example of Faith in Action to counteract the enemies plan to keep us bound.

✅ Don’t allow bitterness to rob you of your joy.

Sometimes you have to shake it off. You can’t carry a grudge. Let it go. 

Let us give the same grace that has been given to us to those that offend/slap us. 

With Love and Compassion,

Brock 

P.S. It’s a wonderful gift to have a true friend in life that will give you a big hug around your neck and kick in the butt when you need it. Even if in the same day. 

P.S.S. Those kind of friends deserve the best chocolates too (hint)😉 Have you ordered the New Crispy Cookies and Chocolate and Caramel covered Stir Spoons? Tis the season. 

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