Assignment #4: Friendship: On Battles With Giant Pickles

     I'll bet you money we've all seen it: Veggie Tales' Dave and the Giant Pickle, the watered-down, funnied-up vegetable version of the story of David and Goliath.  Ya know, the one with the sheep that fall over, the brothers that like pizza, the peas that talk with subtitles because you can't understand their French accents, and the little asparagus that knocks over this hairy, 50-foot tall pickle.  Gotta love it.  I was raised on a healthy diet of Veggies, and Dave was and still is one of my very favorites.  Stories from the life of King David have always fascinated me; this young man grew from a lowly shepherd to one of the greatest kings in the history of Israel.  He was a murderer, a liar, a thief, and an adulterer, yet he is called a man after God's own heart.  What an amazing way to be remembered.  
     Specifically, one of my favorite aspects of David's life was his friendship with Jonathan.  David and Jonathan most likely met when David began serving Jonathan's father, King Saul.  After David killed Goliath and began gaining fame in Israel, Saul became jealous and suspicious of David, and began hunting him down as a criminal.  Throughout all of this, David and Jonathan remained loyal friends.  Jonathan even aided David in escaping Saul!  In 1 Samuel 20, David comes to Jonathan and asks why his father is hunting him.  David fears greatly for his life, and begs Jonathan to help him.  Although he knows it will count as betraying his father, Jonathan agrees, and together they set up a plan to warn David of Saul's intentions, and to get David away before anything can happen.  The entire passage is a tribute to these mens' friendship, love, and loyalty.  "Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever,'" says 1 Samuel 20:42.  David kept his promise to his friend.  Many years later, after both Jonathan and Saul had died, and David was an old man, he asked if there were any descendants of Saul he could show kindness to.  He was told that Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet.  Immediately, David had Mephibosheth and his whole family brought to David's palace and given places of high honor.  David's loyalty to Jonathan lasted far longer than just the time they were together.  This is one quality of friendship I truly admire.  
     I will never hesitate to say that keeping friends is hard when you move so often.  More often than not, it's my own fault that I fall out of contact with friends after we move.  I get so wrapped up in my own life that I forget about or ignore theirs.  I have lost so many wonderful friends this way.  Despite the abundance of technology we have today, I still have trouble keeping up with friends.  For as much as I admire loyalty, I often don't show this quality myself.  Another problem that I see frequently getting in the way of my friendships is my pride.  I'm a very proud, and occasionally arrogant, person.  I forget my humility so often when I take over a conversation, or boast about my accomplishments, or take charge of a group of people.  I've struggled with my pride for years, and I can think of many relationships it's spoiled in the past, and present.  I am so grateful for people who are forgiving enough to look past that, and especially for those who put me in my place when I overstep my bounds.  Some of you reading have done just that, and I cannot thank you enough.  
     One friend I have from outside OBA that has remained loyal to me and frequently corrects my shortcomings is Lydia Pope, my best friend from Washington, D.C.  We met shortly after my family moved there three years ago, got along better than peanut butter and chocolate, and have remained best friends ever since.  I have never kept up a relationship so well as I have with her, and it's mostly her fault.  She is far braver than I am, more confident than I am, and will never, ever let me go without making sure I know where I belong.  I thank God every day for her friendship, and for allowing us to keep it.  My goal is that my present and future friendships can better reflect the bond displayed between David and Jonathan in their loyalty, love, and devotion to God.