Doug Van Pelt

A friend named You

I have a friend. Since revealing his name would not be a 100% positive thing all across the board, we'll just call him "You."

You is a great guy. People like to be around him. He's into the outdoors. He's very gracious and polite ... and funny. One quality I love about him (besides those others) is his humility. If I was to presume to know his heart, I might guess that he realizes that he's not worthy -- not worthy of God's love, not worthy of His mercy, not worthy of His grace. These "realizations" probably shaped his behavior somehow. They probably helped him think to put others first.

I'm kind of the opposite in ways. I am under the impression that I have received God's favor. I'm under the impression that this means my Father in Heaven is pleased to know me. This sometimes lights me up inside and fills me with joy. Sometimes it makes it easier for me to have faith that the circumstances around me will improve. Since I'm in good standing with God, why wouldn't He favor me or bless me with a positive answer to my prayer or make my efforts to please him seem fulfilled. That, obviously, makes me feel happy.

I probably have become friends with You by divine intervention. The balance that we offer each other is cool and has a symmetry to it that makes sense. I feel like a son with an inheritance of blessing, which might tend towards an unbecoming arrogance, pride and apathy, and You feel unworthy, which tends to make You feel like an outcast. Being around one another might encourage the other not to get out of balance with our tendencies.

I wonder...