The Friend Who Forgives
Insights From Vacation Bible School
Forgiveness and Friendship at the Crossroads
Only Friends Can Betray You
It started as harmless fun — Keith and I were the “terror team,” making jokes about everyone else. We laughed, poked, and teased our way through the morning until Miss Marla finally called us out:
“Boys, play nice.”
Keith quieted down, but I didn’t.
I turned the jokes on him instead.
I knew his soft spots — his insecurities — and I went right for them. It didn’t take long before he was in tears, shouting, “You’re not my friend anymore!”
In one sentence, I’d lost the only person who’d been on my side.
I thought I was being funny. Turns out, I was being cruel.
When the laughter faded, all I felt was the sting of loneliness.
The Hurt That Cuts Deepest
It’s strange how betrayal never comes from enemies.
Enemies can wound your pride, but only friends can wound your heart.
Jesus knew that pain intimately. The One who called Peter “the rock” also watched that same friend deny even knowing Him. The One who called Judas to walk beside Him for three years was betrayed by a kiss.
That’s what betrayal does — it distorts affection into ache.
But even here, grace whispers: “I understand.”
When Miss Marla saw what had happened between Keith and me, she didn’t lecture. She simply knelt, pulled me close, and said,
“Jesus loves you, Mark. And He forgives you.” Then she took Keith’s hand, placed it in mine, and said,
“Now you can do the same.” In that small act, resentment broke, and something bigger stepped in — mercy.
Forgiveness Restores What Pride Ruins
Forgiveness doesn’t erase the past; it redeems it.
It’s not pretending the hurt never happened — it’s refusing to let the hurt define what happens next.
I’ve learned that forgiveness is never deserved. It’s a gift.
And the more I receive it from God, the more I find I have to give away.
Keith and I were friends again before the week was over.
But more than that, I walked away with a lesson that’s taken a lifetime to learn: Grace isn’t a theory; it’s a hand extended when it would be easier to turn away.
Reflection
Who do you need to forgive — or ask forgiveness from?
Where has pride kept you from restoring what grace could heal?
How might God be inviting you to trade your hurt for His mercy today?
Prayer