Real Friends

                                                       SAM

                                                (anguished)

                                                     Mr. Frodo!

           ANGLE ON: FRODO, in the boat, paddling steadfastly away from the

           shore ... tears in his eyes ... the voice of SAM carried on the

            wind. FRODO whispers to himself.

                                                   FRODO

                                                  No, Sam.

ANGLE ON: SAM looks at the water ... then at the boat.

SPLASH! FRODO turns to see SAM launching himself into the water.

                                                  FRODO

                      Go back, Sam! I'm going to Mordor alone.

     ANGLE ON: SAM splashes hopelessly toward the boat.

                                                    SAM

                          Of course you are ... and I'm coming with you!

                                                  FRODO

                                         You can't swim.

 SAM starts to go under, spluttering and coughing...

ANGLE ON: FRODO drops his paddle and scramble backwards in the

boat...

                                          FRODO (CONT’D)

                                         (frightened) Sam!

ANGLE ON: SAM is underwater ... hands flailing helplessly as he

sinks.

CLOSE ON: FRODO’S hand grasping SAM’S...

        ANGLE ON: FRODO pulls a bedraggled and half-drowned SAM into the

        boat. FRODO and SAM look at each other, out of breath, tears and

        water streaming down both their faces.

                                                    SAM

                            I made a promise, Mr. Frodo ... a promise. “Don't you leave him, 

                            Samwise Gamgee, (sobs) And I don't mean to ... I don't mean to.

                                                  FRODO

                                            (crying) Oh, Sam!

FRODO starts to laugh through his tears ... the two friends hug.

                                          FRODO (CONT’D)

                                           Come on then...

  The two HOBBITS row through the water…

Friends are hard to come by, especially in this day and age. Throughout my life I have been betrayed and hurt by people who I thought were my friends and it’s been hard for me to open up to anyone anymore. I was never the kid who wanted to be popular, or be the most loved, I just wanted to be loved. 

Making friends is not easy for everyone, and I’m not calling out just introverts either. Making friends is something that is hard for everyone regardless if you're an introvert or extrovert. Now sure it’s easy to get to know a few people at an event, or church, or school, or work, but a lot of times those are people you share common interests with, but you’re not exactly close friends but more acquaintances. 

In my opinion there is a big difference between a true friend and an acquaintance. An acquaintance is someone who you are acquainted with, you know them, you like them, but you're not close with them. They aren’t the type of person you would share personal details with, vent to them about problems, or trust or depend on them for help. 

But a true friend is someone who is always there for you, someone who you can go to when you need help, someone who will help you grow, who tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. Someone who will walk the narrow path with you side by side.

These people are rare and hard to come by, but they are the people you want as your friends. 

Ecclesiastes 4 9-12

9 

Two are better than one,

Because they have a good reward for their labor.

10 

For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.

But woe to him who is alone when he falls,

For he has no one to help him up.

11 

Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;

But how can one be warm alone?

12 

Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.

And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

 Now you may be asking, well how do I find these people, and honestly it’s a great question. Finding God’s people is very difficult, it’s not as simple as going to your local church to find them. It’s something that takes time and patience. Having a strong bond with someone is not something that happens instantly, it happens over time, and usually the one thing that brings people closer together more than anything is suffering.

Peter and John getting flogged, Paul and Silas singing in jail together, Ruth and Naomi after losing Mahlon, and one of the greatest friendships in all of scripture, David and Jonothan. 

1 Samuel 18:1-5

As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father's house. 3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. 5 And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

When you experience shared trauma, it brings you closer to the other person. Now I’m not saying common interests aren’t a part of the friendship, but really take a good look at the friends and even family in your life, the people you love the most. Why do you love them? Why are you close with them? I guarantee there is hardship that you went through together and it’s something you will always remember, how you helped each other through that hard time, or how one or both of you would drop what you’re doing to help the other out. 

It’s a beautiful thing, whether you do it for your friends, or they do it for you. It’s why you see it in so many great stories because it inspires and connects with everyone, to some degree or another. 

Han flying in to save Luke during the death star trench run

 Harry Potter sacrificing himself for his friends

 Katniss volunteering to take her sisters place in the Hunger Games

Sam carrying Frodo up mount doom

Harry sacrificing himself to save Peter

 Hawk Eye and Black Widow fighting over who dies for the soul stone

 Neo and Trinity going back into the Matrix to save Morpheus.

Some of your friends may be different from you personality wise, but could be your greatest friends, because at the end of the day it’s the shared trauma, the shared goal, the shared love for God's kingdom that ultimately brings you together and that is an unbreakable bond. 

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