Second Mile Friends

[Dan R. Crawford]

What does a real friend do? I now have a new answer to that question. It was a sickening feeling to arrive at my hotel and begin unpacking my luggage only to miss seeing the small zip-lock bag containing my prescription medication. A call home revealed that the bag was indeed ready for the trip but was sitting on the counter in my home bathroom. It never made it to the luggage, thus was not available when I unpacked in another city, in another country. 

Several text messages between my doctor and I revealed the sad fact that he could not call a Pharmacy near my hotel and give the prescription since he was not a registered physician in the country where I was needing the medication. However, he did go the “second mile” and call a pharmacy across the border and they were able to fill 2 of my 3 prescriptions.

 

Friend #1 – my doctor. However, my schedule was full and it seemed impossible for me to cross the border to pick up my medication. Enter “second-mile” friend #2 who drove across the border, picked up my medication, and at the risk of being arrested for crossing the border with someone else’s prescription medication, delivered the pills to me. 

These two men have been my friends for many years, but last week, by going the “second mile” they demonstrated again what genuine friendship means. In His sermon on the mount, Jesus said if someone needed you to go with them for one mile, you should, “Go with him two” (Matthew 5:41). How could you be a “second mile” friend this week?