THE  FRIEND  WHO  NEVER  LEAVES

I once had a dear friend. To respect his privacy, I'll just call him Joe. We often shared even the most personal details of our lives. Nothing could come between the trust we had.

And we met almost every day because we loved spending time together.

Joe is a cardiologist.

Many of his patients suffer from high blood pressure, heart attacks, or strokes. Seeing the devastating effects of these conditions has made him careful about his health.

Even though he doesn't have high blood pressure himself, he measures his blood pressure every day. He is also careful about his diet and exercise. One night, I was having a late snack with Joe.

He suddenly looked down and said: "Yesterday, after seeing you, I checked my blood pressure. It was very high."

So I asked him, "Well, how did that happen? You're so careful with your diet and exercise."

He sighed.

"Listening to your suffering really affects my mental health. And my blood pressure goes through the roof"

"What?" "I haven't told you before. But it's happened a few times after talking with you.

Every time you share your struggles, my blood pressure shoots up. So... maybe we should not meet again."

After a pause, he added, "No one I know has suffered like you have."

"Most people have ups and downs - they have storms and sunshine. But your life... it's just one black storm after another.

And it only seems to get worse.

I like you as a friend, but being close to you is really affecting my blood pressure."

Then, Joe walked away.

And we never saw each other again.

Losing that friendship opened my eyes to how faithful Jesus has been in my life.

People flock to us in good times. But when things get hard, many walk away. They don't want to share in the pain and suffering. Jesus, however, never looks away from our struggles. And when we suffer, He suffers with us. Being with someone in pain is not easy.

Yet Jesus specifically calls those who are suffering to come to Him.

In Matthew 11:28, He says, "Come to Me,  all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

1 Peter 5:7 also encourages us, "Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you."

Jesus cares for us so profoundly that He invites us to bring Him every heavy burden and anxious thought. Because He loves and deeply values us, He carries our anxieties and gives genuine rest to our souls that the world cannot offer.

No human friend could ever carry such a burden, but Jesus can. Jesus is the true friend who loves at all times and remains faithful through every trial (Proverbs 17:17).

Even in the midst of storms, we can find rest in His abiding presence.

JESUS  OUR  ONLY  TRUE  FRIEND WHO NEVER FORSAKES US