Your Friend Request Has Been Accepted…
Many of us are aware of what these words mean in the 2009 cyberspace world of communication. “www” doesn’t signify a stuck key on a typewriter but rather the very important internet address that unlocks the super highway of information.
(I actually took a class called Typewriting in 9th grade, and I got an A!)
Anyway, receiving a message that says: “Your friend request has been accepted” is a good thing.
It means you have requested someone to share communication with. These people you wish to communicate with come in a variety of “friends.”
They may be:
Long time friends you see daily
Long time friends you used to see daily and now live miles away from
Long time friends you used to see daily and have not seen in 20 years
First time friends you met and bonded with after a few hours
“On-line” friends you may have never met in real life but are connected with
Co-workers that you do life with that are truly your friends
Friendly relatives: near and far, near and dear, not so near and dear
Your teenager’s friends
(You are much more likely to be their “friends” than your own teenagers “friends,” although it is possible.)
We “MySpace,” “FaceBook,” e-mail, text, blog and now we “Twitter.” I am 40 years old and just as guilty as my 2 teenagers. In fact, my teenagers only use 4 of the 6 technologies I mentioned. I use all 6. Of course, I don’t use them to the neglect of my motherly duties. My phone and computer are detachable from my phalanges, unlike my hormone surging DNA that must remain by a power source at all times in case a battery needs charging.
So, I will suffice to say that most are familiar with the words,
“Your friend request has been accepted.”
I was reminded of someone else that is waiting for us to send a confirmation of their request when I got a friend acceptance about 6 weeks after the fact.
It was the weirdest thing. I had actually forgotten all about it. It was one of those “friends” that I met and we did hard, physical labor together. Not an easy task. There was a time restraint, a space restraint, a financial restraint, an emotional restraint and lots of personalities thrown in the mix. It’s actually quite amazing that we ended a very long and difficult 12 hour day in such a positive way.
I was reading this book called “Behind Those Eyes” by Lisa Whittle when a phrase took me immediately to my MySpace inbox about a friend request I thought had been ignored. The phrase from the book was, “We all need’s God’s forgiveness, and He offers it to us, free of charge and expecting nothing in return. All we have to do is accept it.”
All we do is accept it.
Forgiveness.
One of many gifts from the Lord.
All we do is accept it.
Why is it so easy to “accept” friends on the internet we haven’t seen or talked to in 20 years? “Accept” judgment and criticism from the world? “Accept” bad language, crude behavior, inappropriate images and outright lies from the mainstream media? “Accept” ineffective and inferior standards from the educational, medical, and political institutions? “Accept” the injustices in our oh, so modern world, like, hunger, pollution, disease, abuse, racism and poverty? Yet, not “accept” a gift from God?
One person could not possibly eradicate all the ills mentioned above. However, if we first started with forgiveness, a gift God is waiting to have confirmed by us, what would this world be like?
Forgiveness is the foundation and building block.
It all starts with forgiveness.
That free gift that is a catalyst for so much more. It’s the cornerstone, the core to self preservation and community living that actually changes lives.
Self preservation starts with accepting His forgiveness. Admitting we blow it, we are horribly imperfect. When we come to that ugly reality, in walks our true Super Hero and offers us the first gift in a series of many. It’s called forgiveness. It must be accepted to get the next gift called salvation. When salvation happens it is the finest way to preserve ourselves. We are forever alive in Christ and positioned for eternity. No self preservation could be finer. I believe it is the best decision our “self” can make.
Living in community also means accepting that gift of forgiveness. Communities range from our close family and friends variety, to the world’s version. We have goals that we want to accomplish within our family communities, like getting everyone to make it through a family gathering without having a verbal explosion. We have global goals we want to accomplish together. World peace, “green” values shared, and expecting clean water and food for everyone on the planet.
I personally believe these goals will not be accomplished until the return of the only One who can bring all those things because He is the only One who can give all those things.
I also, personally believe that does not mean we have permission to lounge by the pool, drinking cocktails, feeding our every lustful appetite because we can never accomplish these idealistic goals.
Back to my comparison of the forgotten friend request.
Like I mentioned, this was a person who I had done hard work with for 12 hours. I believe it was one of those divine appointments organized by the Master Planner Himself. We were world’s apart in so many ways. A different gender, a different race, a different age, a different culture, a different upbringing…you get my point. Yet, there was a connection birthed out of a heart for things the same.
We seemed to both be talkers and hard workers. We seemed to both enjoy humor and laughing. We both seem to be able to organize and lead and just get the job done no matter the obstacles presented. We both loved music. In fact, he seemed to be a local jazz star. We also seemed to enjoy working with troubled kids. It turns out he was doing this “moving” gig because he was out of his day job. A job that was very close to his heart. A job as the music teacher in a school for troubled kids. A job much needed, reaching these students yet unable to be sustained in our economic times. I also learned from talking to this tender soul that nothing was ever really a job to him. He went about it much the same way I do. With heart and soul.
I could write a whole other story on the actual “job” we did. It could be described as a Steve Martin or Chevy Chase comedy with the heartbreak drama of “Terms of Endearment.” But we did it. We accomplished our goal and actually parted ways having experienced laughter, glimpses of the heart, sore muscles and in much need of a goodnight’s sleep, yet, both knowing the night was not going to end for either of us until the next morning. He had his 2nd gig playing music and my 2nd gig was dinner with friends to celebrate a job finished that was rather bittersweet.
When I paid this sweet man for his well deserved earnings he was pleasantly surprised. The job was taken with the agreement that him and his friend would get a set amount until the job was completed. My parents were paying for it and the job had taken twice as long as originally planned. My dad is a good tipper and a generous soul. He suggested we double the money originally quoted and call it a day. That I did. Him and his friend were shocked and suddenly, I saw a new energy arising from 2 weary and sore bodies.
Feeling like things had turned around for everyone, because, let me tell you, the day did not start out this positive, I decided to kick it up a notch. I told him it was my pleasure to pay him for a job well done but I needed a favor. Could he do something for Jesus, since He was really the one whom all blessings flow. He was more than willing to do that and even had a plan. He was going to bless a ladies Bible study with his musical talent. His friend was not “into the Jesus thing.” so, I told him it was a divine appointment and he was going to be on my prayer hit list, so “get ready!”
When life was back in the daily grind, I looked up this local jazz favorite and he had a MySpace account. That is when I requested to be his friend. Just about 6 weeks ago. I really thought he had forgotten, and so had I. He had not, though.
The Lord has not forgotten His “friend request.” He took the time to connect with you, heart to heart when He formed you in the womb and counted and numbered the very hairs on your head. He has a keepsake bottle with all the teardrops you have ever cried. He knows your favorite candy bar, if you walk around the house in your “birthday suite” when no-one else is home, the person who first broke your heart, if you push the grocery cart back to the store or if you leave those cookies in the produce aisle when no-one is looking.
Press the “accept” button on His “friend request.” He wants to call you friend. He wants you to “accept” forgiveness. Forgiveness from Him, from others and from yourself. So, log onto that super highway called the
Wide World Web. MySpace or FaceBook,
whichever you prefer,
but don’t forget to
Believe Bible Biographies, seek GodSpace or JesusBook
and “accept” all He has to give.
You know, He has more friends than anyone else on the internet!
That alone should make you want to be His friend!
LOL!
LOL!
