TODAY’S JOURNAL A record of occurrences, experiences or observations. by R. D. Sandlin

                   Friends to the End                                       Jan. 8, 2005

"A friend loveth at all times." Being a friend is unconditional; having a friend is conditional. "A man that hath friends must show himself friendly." I want us to focus our attention on the former of these two. You can be a friend without necessarily having one. Jesus called Judas "friend."

When I was very young in the Faith, someone made the statement that when you're dying, if you can count your true friends on one hand , you can consider yourself blessed. At the time, I thought the statement was a little morbid, but, after living all these years and observing people, I am not as sure. I wonder if most of us do not mistake acquaintances for friends.

A true friend is one who knows all about us and still loves us. Henry Brooks Adams said, "Every man should have a fair sized cemetery in which to bury the faults of his friends. Or, as another has put it, "When my friends are one-eyed, I look at their profile."