That verse is not talking about a fair-weather friend or a "good-time Charlie". It's talking about one of those "through thick and thin" friends. One of those people who sticks by you all of the time ... no matter what you're in the middle of. Do you have friends like that? Folks you can call whenever, for whatever and know that they are REALLY going to be there for you? Or do you have friends that are johnny -on-the-spot if THEY need something, but can't find time in their busy schedules when YOU need something?

For as long as I can remember, I've been the Dear Abby/mother/sister/confidant of my circle of friends. Got a problem? Go see Kim. Need advice? Talk to Kim. Need a place to stay? Kim will help. It used to drive my mother nuts. She would call the various friends that turned up on our doorstep my "strays". I wanted to be one of those "real" friends that could always be counted on. Saying no to someone that I knew that was in need was almost impossible for me. The sad thing was that I could count on one hand the number of my friends who were there for me when I needed something.

Life taught me some hard lessons ... but the lesson that Proverbs teaches about friendship isn't one that could be over-run by hard knocks. Yes, people can be real jerks sometimes and there are those who will take and take and take for as long as you let them. But if you've paid attention to Proverbs 12:26 (The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray.), then the people that you're sharing your life with won't be those kind of folks.

So take a look around. Have you chosen your friends wisely? Do they love you through life's ups and downs? Now look at yourself. What kind of a friend are you?