Catching Idle Butterflies

The Measure of Friendship

At the end of our Disciple class last night, our facilitator, Kevin (who has taken the class before and is leading the rest of us through it) asked, “Is there one passage in Proverbs that stuck out at you above the rest?”

I had many, but the one I loved more than the rest was Proverbs 24:26: “An honest answer is like a kiss of friendship.”

How sweet is that? After all, when you have a true friend, you expect them to tell you the truth, regardless of the question. And if you share that same love and respect, you’d never consider lying to them in return.

For example, Dave proved his love and respect for me about a year into our marriage. We were going to school in Trinidad, Colorado and drove one day down to the Whittington Center in New Mexico, a NRA shooting and hunting range to participate in a DCM (Division of Civilian Marksmanship) shoot. This was a government program where they lent you a M1 Garand (semi-auto 30.06 rifle) with 90 rounds to shot at 3 different distances (10 shots standing, sitting and prone at each yardage). After 3 successful shoots, you had the opportunity to purchase your own, military issue M1 at a decidedly reduced price.

The ones they lent you for the shoot, however, were not in the best of shape. The one I received that day had loose sights. The rear one kept dropping, so my shots kept dropping. Suspecting this, I asked Dave, who was spotting my shots for me, after I shot my 10 standing shots how I was shooting.

“Like shit,” he said.

A friend of ours, Bob, spotting someone else next to us stared at Dave in disbelief.

“Don’t sugar coat it, Dave,” he said. “Tell her what you really think.”

Dave just shrugged and said, “She asked me a question, and I gave her an answer. She’s shooting like shit.”

If I wasn’t already in love with him, I think I would have done so at that moment. He respected me enough to be honest (plus trusting me implicitly seeing as I was still armed). He has continued to be honest with my questions ever since, and I never hesitate to return the favor.