A few days ago, I met with a college friend I had not seen in five years. It was as if no time had passed as we updated each other on what had happened in those years between the phone calls and visits we hadn’t made. There was still a deep knowing and comfort between us. Before I left, I made a joke about how I would do those years we shared in college differently, knowing what I do now. Those years were hard; I wished I had done more, been better. I was unsure of my future and lived like it. But my friend wouldn’t let me get away with the veiled shame I was casting upon myself. “Yeah, but this is how I saw you,” he said. “I always knew who you were.”
I realized that all of my good friends, the ones who’d been in the trenches with me across my life had this in common: an unwavering belief in me, even when I did not believe in myself. They saw past the me affected by external circumstances into the eternal me, radiating from within. They’d never been confused about who I was, even when I didn’t live like I was remarkable. As I left, full to the brim with the kind of comfort that only comes from spending time with a good friend, I realized this is what God is like.
He doesn’t call me sinner or servant; He calls me friend. He doesn’t point to the past in condemnation as a method of behavior modification. He sees me with the eyes of an old friend, full of knowing, and compassion. He made me, after all. When He sent Jesus to the cross, they both knew what they were getting when they sacrificed His life for me. All wrath, satisfied; all shame, wiped away. Whenever I feel ashamed, I am able to sit with my oldest Friend and let Him remind me of how remarkable (how worth sacrifice, how worth knitting painstakingly with a purpose) I am. Our external circumstances will try to convince us out of our eternal identity -- but our closest Friend rushes in to point us back to who we really are.
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
-John 15:13 (NIV)
About the Author
Alaina Stratton≫≫Alaina is a writer based in Nashville, TN, where she lives with her husband, Blake. They met in 7th grade band and spend most of their time flirting over cups of well made coffee. Through writing Alaina shares personal stories of moments and movements of the heart; thoughts on identity, marriage, life with God, and more. Her greatest desire is to encourage others towards deeper intimacy with themselves and the Lord.
She also writes for her personal blog (www.alainastratton.com) and podcasts alongside her husband for White Flag Wealth: a journey into God’s promise of abundant life (available in iTunes or wherever you download podcasts
