Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend …

Proverbs 27:5-6 

My old friend can be quite direct. “Pray about this, because it sounds to me like God is trying to teach you something!”

It’s not unusual for her to rebuke me. She has insisted, at times, that I changed the subject to avoid a challenge. She has claimed I over-reacted to criticism. She has often clarified facts by pointing out discrepancies in my story. Because through 60 years of friendship, she knows me very well, and I value her perspective. She questions me from a loving, caring, and experienced point of view.

Her trusted counsel grows in fruitfulness through the decades. These gentle wounds are precious to me; they always lead me closer to our Father!

Lisa Heule
Littleton, CO

Gentle Lord, help me to listen to your voice in my generous neighbors’ openness. Amen.

Reflect: When did a wise friend correct you, nudging you to stir up love?

Read: Proverbs 27:5-9 and Hebrews 10:24-25