Is God the Friendly Giant?

Chapter Eleven in the Purpose Driven Life says God wants to be my Best Friend. Wow!


Since we were restored to friendship with God by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be delivered from eternal punishment by his life." Romans 5:10

That is shocking. I guess he wants to have a relationship with me like he had with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. I hear Moses and Abraham were his buddies too, and David was a man after God's own heart. Also Job, Enoch and Noah were good friends. But that is Old Testament stuff. Besides, how does one be a friend of God?

Quite frankly, I am a bit overwhelmed with this thought. I imagine this really big bright guy standing over me saying "wanna be my friend" ? There I am looking up, looking way up, and feeling very intimidated and too afraid to say "no, you scare the crap out of me", so I weakly say "ok" and try to run off, but he picks me up in his really big hand and lets out a loud, deafening laugh of joy. I cringe, and fear overwhelms me. All I can say is "please be gentle with me". The big guy then pats my little head, and sets me down on the ground. I stare up at him, and wonder "what is going to happen next." Then, he gets down on the ground, all the way down so his nose is nearly touching mine, and he says, "talk to me, tell me what's on your heart". I am dumbfounded and speechless, but then the words come out. "God, I am afraid to live, I am afraid of life, I am afraid of what is going to happen next, I am afraid of you, and I don't know what you want from me.  I am also upset that I don't have the things and relationships other people do, I am angry I am alone, and I am angry I am here, and life didn't turn out better for me...why do I have to struggle so much?"