Knocked Down Again!

Have you ever noticed that as we get older and busier, we forget to notice the friends from the past that have gotten us through the hard times? I was noticing that today. I have had two incredibly bad days in a row, and just when I thought it was getting better… WHAM!!!! Knocked down again!
I was thinking about the times when I have been knocked down before, and who was there to give me a hand getting back on my feet. First there was my parents, when I was little, my parents were there to help me stand and walk. In grade school I had a couple of girlfriends that sometimes helped me, and sometimes helped me get into trouble. Even more, friends and trouble, awaited me in high school and college. But I could not really count on these people to be there all the time and in all situations.
I have grown up some since then, and although I don’t find as much trouble as I have found friends, there is still not one person that is truly there for me all the time. Not one person! But I have found that there is something that I can always  reach out to when I need a hand getting back on my feet.
I am certainly a different person than I was when my parents held my hands as I took my first steps. I am taller, more experienced, and I weigh a little more than I did when I was a baby. They don’t hold my hand every step I take. I still call them sometimes when I am having problems getting out of a pit. But they are not my most faithful friend.
I have two fantastic “Battle Buddies" that survived the ‘06 –‘08 deployment with me. They are the first people, besides my family, to know of anything major happening in my life, but they are not my most faithful friend.
Some of the girlfriends that helped me find trouble probably wouldn’t recognize the person I have become. I have a hard time recognizing the person that I was. And I have my most true friend to thank for that.
I have found myself talking to my friend a lot the past two days. I keep reaching out to the best friend I have ever had. He has been there for me, even before I was born. My friend, Jesus, has been there, and He has lifted me up again and again, even when I didn’t reach out to Him. I have learned to lean on Him, because He is, was, and always will be there for me. Jesus is my most faithful friend.
Yes, I have been knocked down, over and over again the past two days. I have even felt like I have been kicked by some of my friends while I have been down the past two days. But when I remembered to get on my knees while I was down there… my Best Friend reached down and helped me get back on my feet again.