Friends are like "Rare" Coins

As a kid I remember sitting in class at Amboy Elementary waiting for my prize for selling candy or some other contest at school. The teacher called my name and I got up and walked towards her with anticipation. With great excitement I reached out and received my prize. I looked down and I saw something that was round and silver with a lady on the front of it. I knew it was some kind of coin, but this coin was unlike the quarters, dimes, nickels or even the silver half-dollars that I had seen before. I later found out that it was a Susan B. Anthony dollar. As a young boy I thought I had something very rare, and I started looking for other types of coins. I found more Susan B’s along with some silver dollars and a couple of half-dollars with Kennedy on the front of them. However, at some point in my life I did come across a very rare coin and that coin was an Indian Head Nickel or sometimes called a buffalo nickel. The date, where the coin was made, and the condition of the coin will determine its value. Some coins that are in really great condition could be worth up to thousands of dollars, which is great since the value of the coin is only five cents. The Indian Head Nickel that I own isn’t worth all that much, but I can say I own one!

In 2003 I was going through one of the darkest times of my life. I had just moved back to Little Rock from Oklahoma City. The first night I was back in Arkansas a good friend of mine, Jason, who I have known since 6th grade, came over to see how I was doing and to hang out. We talked about many different things and he told me that if I needed anything to let him know. The next day as I began to unpack and sort through my things I found a box that contained my old “rare” coins. As begin to look at them, esp. the Indian Head Nickel, something came to my mind. Jason was just like that Indian Head Nickel. He is a rare friend, the kind of friend that would walk with you through the darkest times in your life. The kind of friend who encourages you when you are down, and gives you advice when need it. The kind of friend who tells you the truth when no one else will, and no matter how bad you mess up, they are still there for you! I remember saying to myself, “Great friends are like rare coins, hard to find, but once you find them hold on to them, they are very valuable.” I have been lucky over the years to have picked up several of these “rare” friends.

What made me think about writing on the subject of friends was a passage of Scripture. I was reading in 1 Samuel 20 when I began to think about friendships. David and Jonathan had a very good friendship during a very dark time in David’s life. King Saul, who happened to be Jonathan’s father, was very jealous of David and made plans to kill him. David was on the run trying to figure out what to do. In chapter 20, David and Jonathan made a covenant with each other to be there for each other and to watch each other’s back. Jonathan even went and pleaded David’s case to King Saul. He went to bat for David during a time when it could have meant death for Jonathan. See that is what those “rare” friends do for one another.

Having valuable “rare” friends is very important in a person’s life. God places these friends in our lives for a reason. Solomon wrote Proverbs 27:17 which says: “As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend.” Then again Solomon echoes this in the Book of Ecclesiastes by saying: “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, then other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” (Ecc 4:8&9 NLT) I think Solomon knew what he was talking about. Besides, he is known as the wisest man to ever live, right? Everyone everywhere needs someone to help them get through a hard time in life every once in awhile. I thank my Heavenly Father for sending me three very close friends that will always be there for me when I need them. So if you do not have a friend like that; ask the Father to help you find those “rare” and “valuable” friends and remember, “Great friends are like rare coins, hard to find, but once you find them hold on to them, they are very valuable.”