Friendship—women gravitate to it and thrive with it. Men shrink from it but without it shrivel up and die. And for teenagers having friends is right up there with breathing.

We have the incredible privilege of friendship with God, not just an invitation to arrange for an audience with him at his pleasure.

If today’s reading sounds like a familiar story, it’s because it is. Abram and Sarai repeat Adam and Eve’s story… and make all the same mistakes!

After observing Abram for another fourteen years, the Lord made a deeper, more detailed commitment by converting his covenant to an everlasting covenant and, to emphasize his promise, changing Abram’s name to Abraham. Abram means “Exalted Father” while Abraham means “Father of a Multitude.”

Do you sometimes find it hard to believe that anything is possible with God? Abraham did, but today we see that his lack of faith didn’t cause God to withdraw his promises. God’s response was patience. That’s good news for us!

This reflection is based on two words that didn’t appear in today’s reading. Although the CEV Bible omits them, in the Hebrew text and other Bible translations, Abraham greeted the three men with “My Lord.”

I love the glimpse into God’s inner thoughts! “Should I tell Abraham?” he asked. “Yes” he answered, because he wanted Abraham and his family to obey him (Verse 17 is a question in the Hebrew text, not a statement as found in the CEV).

These past months have been tough. Not just a little bit tough—but really tough. Trying to live up to others’ expectations of who I should be or what I should be doing. Tough enough for me to cry out to God for help at a deeper level than I have ever cried out before. “Enough already, God! Enough!”, I shout out.