Friendship

A couple of years ago my school’s orchestra and choir were asked to play at a Christian conference in Canada. As a byproduct, all of us students were able to attend the meetings.

One night, after the speaker had finished, I was feeling very dejected. Depression hung on me like a heavy blanket and my current struggle loomed before me like an enormous black cloud, blotting out the sunshine. As my fellow students chatted and small talk filled the speaking hall, I walked over to a close girlfriend of mine. The look on my face gave her a clue as to how I was feeling. I don’t remember the exact dialogue that took place between us, but one fragment of a sentence lodged in my mind. I mentioned to her something about how I was discouraged, and she replied by saying, “Well, my arms aren’t as strong as God’s, but…” And then she hugged me.

That one phrase stuck in my mind. “Well, my arms aren’t as strong as God’s, but…” It spoke to me, providing the spark of inspiration for a poem I began to write that night.

Later, as I tweaked and chipped away at the words, I thought of two people: my sister and, of course, my friend who had first spoken to me those quotable words. They both had seen me go through rough times, but had always (for lack of a better way of describing it; please forgive the cliché) tried to be there for me. Though they were never able to wave a magic wand and make my troubles vanish into a cloud of pink smoke and sparkles, they were Jesus’ hands to me by simply being there for me, praying for me, and giving me a hug. As I wrote into the night, I felt like that simple poem portrayed the kind of friends they had been to me, the kind of friend I wanted to be to others.

As I said before, the poem was written a couple of years ago, but I thought it might be a neat thing to share. Take it as a challenge. You can’t fix your friend’s problems, but you can strive to “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ,” as Galatians 6:2 exhorts (NKJV). And as we follow this Biblical injunction, we will be the Father’s hands to others. 

I see you standing here tonight,

In your eyes a heart full of pain,

Trying so hard to win the fight,

But no ground appears to be gained

Sometimes I feel so helpless,

There’s so little I can do,

But on my knees and in my mind

I pray and I fight with you

My arms may not be as strong as God’s

And I can’t win this war for you,

But I will hold you anyways

And be the Father’s hands to you

You cannot see past all the pain

As through this fog you feel and grope

You must believe me when I say

In the Father, there is your hope

Sometimes I feel so helpless,

There’s so little I can do,

But on my knees and in my mind

I pray and I fight with you

My arms may not be as strong as God’s

And I can’t win this war for you,

But I will hold you anyways

And be the Father’s hands to you