"Friendship"

It is summer time!....which means sleepovers! We are just getting into the sleepover stage with our kids. It's kind of a new experience . I find myself wondering if they are behaving, if they are having a good time, what they are doing and so on....So, when Josh was staying with a buddy the other night Jason texted his mom to check up on Josh. She responded back with a  text of praise for Josh and his behaviour saying that Josh was "a good influence" on her son!

Later that evening after Josh got home from his friend's house he was telling me about how much fun he had and gave me a play by play of his past 24 hrs. I was eagerly listening and then he begins to list the reasons why he likes his friend......"He cares about people, he believes in God, and he doesn't say any bad words."

My heart melted to hear him describe the qualities he noticed in his friend. Over that same 24 hour period I had been thinking a lot about friendship and my childhood best friend because it was her birthday.

We had been friends since 3rd grade. We spent the night together all the time, went to church camp together,  we usually had a crush on the same boy (most of the time she got him). The only class I ever skipped in High School was with her! We were in each other's weddings....and as we grew in to adulthood I always thought we could pick up where we left off. But, as time went on and our lives went different directions that didn't happen. The last time I talked to her was 2 years ago when I called her to wish her a happy birthday. My birthday wish was not a welcomed wish......we have not spoken since......I think and pray for her often. In that same 24 hour period, my husband made a difficult decision that disappointed his childhood best friend........

So, I began to ponder what friendship is and what the Bible says about friendship. It is not always something that comes easy. It takes time and effort. It is give and take. I also thought I must not be the only one that struggles with it, Lisa Welchel (Blair from the Facts of Life) wrote a book on the difficulties of  friendship as an adult woman. Hearts at Home has workshops on finding meaningful friendships. Our lives get so busy with raising kids, cleaning house, working, volunteering, maintaining a marriage, that sometimes we don't have anything left to be a good friend. 

The Bible tells us that friendship is important. Ecclesiastes 4:10 says, "If one falls down his friend can help him up. But, pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!" God made us to be relational people! We need friends!! I pray that God will help me to be more like the friend described in Colossians 3:12-14 "As God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on LOVE, which binds them all together in perfect unity."