Blog

Feb 19, 2025 06:00am

From Strangers to Friends

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It was move-in day.

Cars were parked all over the parking lot and street. People moved about, arms loaded, carrying bags, baskets, and furniture. Danae’s parents pulled their truck in behind a car, the sidewalk just to the right of us.

This was a big step for us.

Although we had been on the campus before, it was only once for a quick preview. Neither of us were very sure about where we were supposed to go. We got out of the truck and looked around.

“Let’s just ask and make sure we are in the right place,” one of us said.

There were two girls coming down the sidewalk towards us.

With excitement and nervousness, we asked, “Hey, can you tell us where the girls’ dorms are? We’re moving in!”

The girls giggled, looked at one another, and then pointed up the hill.

“Right up there.”

We were a little confused.

“Oh, ok.”

So, we turned, got back in her parent’s truck, and told them we were supposed to go up the hill.

We both looked at each other.

“I thought that was the administration building.” It was a statement and a question.

So, her dad put it into drive, and we drove up the hill.

We hopped out and strolled to the front door, and there was a desk. When we asked where the dorms were and where we were supposed to move in, you can imagine where the woman told us to go.

Right back to where we had been.

With a look of defeat and embarrassment, we loaded back in the truck and made our way down the hill. We noticed those girls laughing as we carried in our bags and boxes.

That night, as we lay in bed, still nervous about being in a new place, we both came to the same conclusion.

“We’re just going to have to accept that those girls are never going to be our friends.”

I don’t know exactly what changed throughout the next couple of days, but those girls ended up being some of the best friends we made that year. We were all inseparable. To this day, when we get together or reminisce about the days gone by, we all laugh about our move-in day and our enemies who became friends.

Romans 5:9-11
“And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

In our sin, we are enemies of God, deserving of His wrath. Because He is Holy, He cannot and will not be associated with sin. And because we are sinful people, that means there is a separation between us.

There was only one way to close that gap: the perfect, sinless sacrifice of Jesus Christ. When He gave His life on the cross, He took all of our sins upon Himself. To those who will accept it, He gives His righteousness in exchange.

Because of His righteousness now upon us, we are no longer the enemies of God. Now, He calls us friends.

How beautiful is that?

We have the incredible opportunity to become a friend of God! I love how the KJV reads: “But we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We are enemies no more. Now, the God of heaven and earth calls us friends.

Do you know Him? I’d love to introduce you to Him and what it looks like to have that friendship with Jesus. Go to follow.lifeword.org. He’s the best friend you’ll ever find.