Points to Ponder — Page 10
— 10 A Knock at the Door The sign of a true friend is that he is ready to sacrifice everything for his friend and beloved. Imagine a beloved and a friend who is not only a beloved and a friend but also is the Creator, the Master, and the Lord. A famous story states that a young man was in the habit of wasting his father ’s wealth on his friends all the time. He always had a gathering of flatterers and they wasted money day and night. His father always told him, “They are flattering and selfish young men. They do not have real love for you. Do not destroy your wealth on them. ” But the young man never accepted his father’s advice and responded, “They are my true friends. ” The father said, “How come you have gathered so many friends around while I have been able to find only one close friend? How come there is a large gathering of friends around you all of the time?” A long time passed, and the young man did not accept his father ’s advice. One day, the father said, “If you do not trust me then conduct a trial and test your friends, then you will know how many real friends you have. ” The son asked, “How may I t est my friends?”