HOW MY BEST FRIEND TAUGHT ME TO BE FRIENDS WITH GOD.

My best friend and I were sitting together with our families in church. While she seemed fully entranced and singing along with the choir, I was dangling my feet and rocking back and forth singing the A, B, and C’s in my head. I stared intently at the cross with the statue of Jesus, hanging overhead. I had no idea what the priest was saying, or could I pay attention to the choir despite its delightful sound. I must have been about six years old. All I knew was that I was bored to death and felt a little scared as I stared up at the ominous figure looming over me. Unlike my friend Susan, who seemed happy and at home, I felt out of place and in an imposed prison that my parents had forced me into. One thing I did know, was that I had better pray intently so that God would forgive all my six year old sins - such as stealing the toy from my little brother and making him cry. If I didn’t, I would be banished to hell forever and ever.

That was many years ago and yet the memory has never left me. I wasn’t taught that I could embrace God in any other way. It wasn’t until I explored another side of spirituality that I learned I could actually become friends with God. But what did that really mean? I could easily text my friend and receive a clear answer to my message. I couldn’t exactly send an SMS to God and get an answer. I didn’t have God’s cell phone number. God communicated in another way. One in which I currently had no idea how to use. If I couldn’t reach God, how could I become friends with God?

Sitting with Susan at a coffee shop, rather than in a church pew, I was still kicking my feet. Susan and I had been friends forever, even when her family had moved away, we always stayed in touch. We were kindred spirits and neither distance nor time, affected our true kinship for each other. I looked at her and felt gratitude for our friendship. Sipping my cappuccino, I asked her what the most important part of our friendship was for her. She took a gulp from her latte, gazed out the window and thought about it for a moment.

“Well,” she paused, “I think it’s knowing that whenever I need any advice you’d give it to me. Not only that, you’d give me the advice that was going to help me the most, even if it wasn’t something I wanted to hear. And you’d always be there for me, just as you’ve been here so far.” She smiled and so did I.

Our true friendship was an inner knowing that we would be there for one another no matter what. Even if we lived miles apart, we could simply reach out and be virtually connected.

“Why?” Susan asked inquisitively.

“Oh I was just thinking about friendship with God.”

“I see. God is my best friend.” My best friend replied. “We talk all the time.”

“You talk all the time?” I asked, curious now.

“Sure. Each morning and each night when I pray and when I’m clear, I can hear the answers I need.

“But how does God answer you?” I wasn’t convinced about prayer myself. My prayer was held in the form of meditation and so far I hadn’t heard God answer me back. Perhaps I would need to adopt some prayer into my own spiritual practice.

“It’s more of a feeling and it’s not always in the way I expect or want. I see it in a sentence in a magazine, or something that someone says, suddenly holds more meaning. Or something unexpected happens in life. When that occurs, I know that my prayer is being, or is about to be, answered. When I’m feeling joyful, or happy, I know that I’m having a great time with God. When I’m sad or depressed, I know that I’ve left my friend, even if it’s just for a little while. We think God leaves us, but we are the ones that always leave God. In the end, God can’t leave you, and you can’t leave God. Would you ever leave yourself?”

“Yourself?” I looked at Susan oddly, wondering what she meant.

“Aren’t you, you own best friend, and if so, then aren’t you best friends with God? Everything is one and God is you, as you are God. Wouldn’t you answer yourself back if you asked yourself a question?”

“Of course. But I still don’t see how I can be friends with God.”

“Start by becoming your own best friend and listen to what you have to say to yourself. Not your immediate thoughts, but deep down, inside of you.”

My best friend smiled and I reflected on the wisdom of her words. I realized then, that in order to communicate to God, I’d have to go inside, deeper into my virtual world of imagination, where I could take part in another form of communication. Through the void and darkness there was always an inner voice behind my own voice and if I was silent enough, I would actually be able to hear that voice.

Susan gave me one last piece of advice, like any friend would. “Listen closely to your thoughts. It’s different from the thoughts that constantly berate your mind. It’s softer, calmer and feels different. Like you, I know that whenever I need some advice, you’d always be there ready to give it – that is, if I’m ready to listen. So just listen and watch and soon you’ll become friends with your Self and with God.”