I wrote this piece when I felt unsure that my love for God was genuine. I wondered if I was just going through the motions… pretending I love Him. It is hard, sometimes, to love a God you cannot see. A moment after I thought that, the Lord told me, “No. Your devotion is genuine.” And He gave me the example of friendship to help me understand.
Sometimes, my relationship with God puzzles me. We’re good friends, and I talk to Him regularly, but from time to time, I wonder why he befriended me. We’re pretty different, and despite those differences, he found me worthwhile.
Maybe being friends with God is a little like being friends with my closest buddy, who I met at an English tutoring group in college. Our friendship is somewhat mysterious; I am not sure exactly why we get along so well. We just do. We have similar personalities. She is goofy, and I am too. We think the same things are funny, even if no one else does. A life event texted to me in emojis can have me chuckling to myself for days. We’ve been friends for a long time, and we have tons of inside jokes that confuse outsiders. We have bunches of fun doing simple things like eating Korean food and talking. We talk about Jesus, life, and the next time we can go on an adventure.
I think my relationship with the Lord is similar, except He is my best friend. We’ve been friends for a while. We get along very well, though I am always the one who needs assistance or has life issues to work out. An expert listener and advice-giver, He’s always there. I remember the exact day we became friends, and all of the crazy and wonderful times we have shared since then. We have inside jokes and a certain way of communicating that only He and I understand. Unlike my closest friend, He knows me better than I know myself, which I must admit feels a little odd and uncomfortable sometimes. But, I don’t really mind that He knows everything about me, and understands my thoughts and wishes, because I don’t have to say things five different ways for Him to understand. Even my closest friend doesn’t get me sometimes, but He does. He doesn’t get annoyed on those weeks when I cry every day. He refines my character. He thinks I am funny.
Friendship with God is a mysterious thing. Here I am, one of billions on earth, yet we’re buddies. The ruler of the universe and I. And somehow, it works.
In Rachel's Words 