As I sit here the night before Easter, I am anxious and excited for morning to come. My excitement comes not from wondering if a floppy-eared cottontail has left a surprise for me in the form of jelly beans and a basket, but instead from the same place it comes every December as well. While some may assume I merely enjoy holidays traditionally beset with gifts, the assumption would be incorrect. Instead, Easter and Christmas are two of my favorite holidays because I simply love the fact that people around the world take time out of their lives to celebrate the birth, life, and resurrection of my best friend. Yes, it may seem cavalier to refer to Jesus Christ -- the Savior of the World, God’s Only Begotten Son, the greatest man to ever walk the face of the earth -- as my best friend, but indeed this is the relationship I have with Him. I am so thankful for this and so tonight’s writing is my tribute to Him -- He who is not only my Redeemer, but also my elder brother and friend.
From a very young age, my parents taught me I was a child of God and thus a sister to Jesus Christ. Because of this, I always felt special. After all, how could God’s daughter and a sister to the Prince of Peace not be special? I am so thankful to my parents who instilled in me the knowledge that as my brother, Jesus Christ desired to have a personal relationship with me. He has always been a perfect brother and friend, and it is for this reason I so appreciate holidays on which we celebrate Him.
The scriptures, particularly those which relay stories from Christ’s life, abound with instances where He refers to His disciples and those around Him as friends. In fact, it seems this is the term He uses most when referring to those He cared about. He was the literal Son of God, the only sinless person ever to walk the face of the earth, and yet He esteemed Himself no higher than anyone else. He considered Himself a friend to those around Him, and I am more than thankful I can consider Him my friend. His love and friendship is and always has been perfect, and I have literally felt it so many times in my life.
During His mortal ministry, the Savior performed many miracles – He healed the sick; He raised the dead; He walked on water; He fed the multitudes with only a few loaves and fishes. Given this, how could one deny His divinity? And yet there were those who did, and there are those who still do. I recently had a conversation with a friend regarding atheism, and it occurred to me that instead of being upset at those with no belief in God or correspondingly Jesus Christ, my heart breaks for them. The one thing I’ve always known I could count on is the love and friendship of my Savior; He has been there for me in the good times and more importantly, in the bad. I can’t imagine going through life and its trials without that added measure of support and love, and I firmly believe He is willing to unconditionally provide His love and friendship to anyone who will simply reach out.
One of my favorite stories of Jesus Christ is told by Luke in the New Testament. The story recounts an instance where a woman who, plagued with a considerable physical affliction, had so much faith in the Savior that she believed by simply touching His garment, she would be healed. While I admire this woman for her faith, the part of the story that resounds with me most is Christ’s reaction after she touched His garment: “Somebody hath touched me…” His disciples responded by saying, “Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest though, Who touched me?” And yet, the Savior knew there was someone who deliberately reached out to Him and needed Him at that moment. In my life, often I feel it is all I can do to simply reach out and (symbolically) touch the bottom of His garment. However, I have faith that when I do, He personally recognizes me, just as he recognized the woman told of in Luke’s account. Not only do I have faith this is the case, but I have felt it in my life. I know that whenever I reach out, He is there and provides me with the friendship and love I need and desire. So often I feel insignificant and unsure of my meaning in this crazy world we live in, but I know that to Him, I am important and valued. He was willing to stop amongst a multitude of people to acknowledge a seemingly trivial woman who touched His garment, and He has figuratively done the same for me in my life and amongst the multitudes in which I live.
I love to read the stories of the miracles the Savior worked while He walked upon this earth, but I am more thankful for the miracles He continues to work every day in my life. He has made the unbearable bearable and turned the darkness of my life into light, and I have experienced first-hand the transforming power His love can have. How easily He could have turned back when He knelt in Gethsemane or was being nailed to the cross, but He didn’t. As my friend, He loved me enough to give His life, and I love Him enough to give mine. Thankfully He doesn’t require it to be given in the same way, and even more thankfully He doesn’t require it to be perfect. All He asks is that we love and follow Him, and that’s what I will continue to do.
Sometimes it is difficult for me to see why the Savior would want to be my friend, and looking back on my life, I recognize ways in which I could have been a better friend to Him. Fortunately, His love and friendship are not contingent on mine and I have never questioned whether or not He is there. I try to live my life in a way that honors His and will allow me to someday be with Him again. I’m far from perfect, but I am thankful for my relationship with the Savior through which I know that He knows my heart and my love for Him. Friendship can be a tricky thing – there are definitely times when it is stronger than others. However, it is my opinion that a true friendship is unconditional – you know it is always there, no matter the distance between the friends or the length of time it has been since the friends were last together. My friendship with the Savior is no different. I wish I could say that in my life, each day has been spent in close relationship with Him; thankfully, most have and I look forward to a continued life and eternity of friendship with Jesus Christ, made possible through His absolute, infinite love and my strivings to emulate His perfect example.
As I’ve been writing tonight, I’ve had a playlist on of various songs which pay tribute to the life of the Savior. Two of these with particular meaning to me are the hymns I Believe in Christ and I Know That My Redeemer Lives. Indeed, I absolutely believe in Christ and I know He lives. I have felt His presence in my life and know He is as alive today as when He walked on this earth. I am thankful for parents and a Gospel which provided me with this knowledge, as well as for experiences of my own which have reinforced my faith in and relationship with the Savior.
Indeed, oh sweet, the joy this sentence gives -- I know that my Redeemer lives! He lives, and by Him, I live. How thankful I am the tomb was empty on that Easter morning long ago and that through this miracle, I can experience the love and friendship of the Savior every day of my life. He has always been there for me, and for this I am evermore grateful. He has courageously and selflessly fought my battles, been my advocate, and won my victory. At times when I’ve felt the world was against me, I knew that He wasn’t. On the nights I’ve gone to bed with a tear-soaked pillow, I felt reassured that somehow He had the ability to wipe my tears away. During those moments when I questioned whether or not I could go on, His arms were roundabout me, gently letting me know that I could. I am so thankful for my relationship with him and look forward to the day when I will be able to kneel at His feet, wet them with my tears, and thank Him for always being my perfect best friend. =)
~Tiff T.
