I have a new friend. This would not ordinarily be newsworthy. After all, I’ve been a functional member of society for some time now. But this was a little different.
We met by random chance. We happened to be in the same place at the same time. At first, I wasn’t inclined to like her. She has that oh-so-cute, perky innocence about her that usually makes me cringe, particularly in adults. Still, I figured I’d give her the benefit of the doubt. I made the effort to lay aside my own prejudices. I’m glad I did.
We make an unlikely pair. We have almost nothing in common, aside from both being church-going Christians. We don’t have the same taste in clothes, books, movies, or music. We don’t share similar philosophies on life or parenting. I’m willing to bet we don’t hold the same views on faith, and I’m certain we don’t on politics.
And yet.
I like her. It’s impossible not to. She’s sweet and fun, and not a little bit crazy. She loves people like mad and wants to hug the whole world. She doesn’t pass up opportunities to help and serve others, even at personal inconvenience. We may come at it differently, but in this we agree: As followers of Christ, we live to love and serve.
We don’t spend a lot of time together, and I doubt we’ll ever be close confidants. But I’m glad that I put away my own agenda and got to know her better. Having that kind of friend will make me a better person, a person who can look beyond the exterior.
The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7b, NIV)
