Friendship

 

It has been a while since you have connected with that special person.  Maybe they have been on your mind.  Maybe you said to yourself a hundred times, “I should reach out”, but haven’t.  Maybe the busyness of life seems to have taken over.  Yet finally you have the chance to connect – whether it be phone, text, email, in person, or carrier pigeon.  Just like that, you pick up where you left off, and all is right in the world!

That is friendship.  The moment in time when the world stops and you can rest your weary head on the other person’s shoulder and realize it will all be okay.  I am truly blessed to have wonderful friends in my life, and I lean on those friends for many things.  There are times when I just need a listening ear, a chance to clear my head and move forward.  There are times when I need to get out all my frustrations and share it with those who will not judge my anger.  There are times when I want to celebrate the goodness of this world with those that can appreciate what good means to me.

Then there are the times shared in our verse for today – the times when I need heartfelt advice.  Many of those times, I enter the conversation not realizing that is what I was looking for.  Yet, there it is, in the kindest ways, shared by someone who genuinely cares about me, a friend.  I may have thought about the same thoughts they shared with me, but somehow, they are validated by the caring and kindness that a friend provides.  That advice may not always be what I want to hear, but the truth can always be a difficult thing to hear.

When you look throughout the Bible, there are so many instances where friendship plays such a strong role, for many of the reasons that I listed above.  Our friends may be close by or thousands of miles away.  We may be able to connect via text or a handwritten note.  We may have one friend or many.  Please take the time right now to pray for the friends you have been blessed with.  Remember, you have a friend that is always there for you, at any moment of the day.  What a Friend We Have in Jesus!!  He is our eternal friend, the One who will always bless your life with kindness and joy. 

Our lives can change in a moment.  Our thoughts can change in a moment.  Friendships, especially that of our Heavenly Father, can be the constant amongst the change.  Take a moment and pray for your friends, for their well-being, their souls and be thankful for their love.

Dearest Jesus, thank you for blessing us with friends, especially your friendship.  May we always realize the importance of keeping friends close in prayer and in love.  Amen!