Anticipating the new roping season coming up, I sense the old familiar feelings starting to build up inside. The desire to rope well and win something, travel a bit, and to see people that I haven’t seen in a while. It is seeing those people that I haven’t seen for a long period of time that I have been thinking about.
Besides roping, it is the people in this sport that you come to know that add a great deal to the enjoyment of team roping. I’ve had the privilege in that last few years of meeting many new people and their families. I have performed weddings, done cowboy church services, dinners, wine tastings, motivational talks, one-on-one counseling sessions and participated in family crisis situations.
In all these endeavors I have discovered one thing. Most people have acquaintances but not enough friends. Many would say, if they were really honest‚ “I don’t have any true friends at all.” It has been said that if you have one or two good friends in your lifetime you are fortunate, especially if you’re male. There is a big difference between acquaintances and those who would be real friends.
To have friends one must be friendly, not so self-absorbed that you can’t think of anyone else’s needs or feelings. To be a friend means to be faithful, available, transparent and trustworthy. Friendship means being a committed friend through all of life’s ups and downs, giving of yourself and being there even when you don’t know what to say. We have to lose the “what’s in it for me” attitude. If we put our interests above those we are around we will never have true friends, just acquaintances, we may call buddy or friend.
The greatest example of a friend is Jesus. He gave His life for people who hated Him. For those who doubted He said‚ “I will be a friend that sticks closer than a brother.” For those who are lonely He said “I will never forsake you and will never leave you.” He also said “There is no greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Is He your friend?
You may have been burned by someone that you called a friend. You may think that you don’t need friends. Don’t harden your heart! People around you need friends and so do you.
Rope well! Risk being a friend. It starts with you! Thank you for your comments, letters and prayer requests. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.