A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. Proverbs 17:17

 

Mr. Sam Rayburn was Speaker of the United States House of Representatives longer than any other man in history. There's a story about him that reveals the kind of man that he really was. 

The teenage daughter of a friend of his died suddenly one night, and early the next morning, the man heard a knock on his door. When he opened it, there was Mr. Rayburn standing outside. The Speaker said, "I just came by to see what I could do to help". The father replied, in his deep grief,

 "I don't think there's anything you can do, Mr. Speaker. We are making all the arrangements". "Well," Mr. Rayburn said, "have you had your coffee this morning"? And the man replied that they hadn't taken time for breakfast, so Mr. Rayburn said that he could at least make coffee for them. 

While he was working in the kitchen, the man came in and said, "Mr. Speaker, I thought you were supposed to have breakfast at the White House this morning".

 "Well, I was," Mr. Rayburn said, "but I called the president and told him I had a friend who was in trouble, and I couldn't come....!!!