In the past 10 months I've learned a lot about friends. I guess sometimes it takes a major life change to force you to look at something realistically. I've been able to really sit back and consider what a true friend is to me. I've realized that my perception of friendship has been skewed in the past few years. Coming here I've learned who my true friends are. It's been an interesting, yet difficult process, and at the same time I am all the more grateful to God for those true friends he has placed in my life. I've realized that some who I considered friends in the past are simply mere acquaintances. I've realized that there are some who will always be faithful and some who really don't care. There are some who have been more supportive than I ever could have imagined and some who have disappointed me and abandoned me. I have realized that some friendships can be encouraging and some can be damaging to me. In the process some friendships have ended and new ones have begun.
As I've learned about my friends I have examined myself as a friend and realize that I can be viewed in all the ways I have seen my friends. I am merely an acquaintance to some, I am a faithful friend to others , I have stopped caring for some and I have supported others. I have disappointed some and abandoned many. I have been an encouragement to some and damaging to others. Some of my friends have forgiven me and some don't want to have anything to do with me.
I have been blessed to have many types of friends and through those friendships both the ones that have grown stronger and the ones that have ended, I have learned a lot about who I am and who I want to be.
Most importantly, this process has forced me to take an intimate look at my greatest Friend and I have begun to truly comprehend that even if all my friends abandon me, He will never leave my side. He will not stop caring. He will never disappoint. He will never abandon me. He offers only encouragement and undeserved forgiveness. He is the reason I live and the reason I die. He is my hope and the greatest example I have of a friend. Through Him I can learn everything I need to know about who I am and who I can be.
1 comment:
Hiya sis. Just letting you know that I'm still praying for you to sense God's clear direction as you consider your options and make your choice known before the 17th. I also want to let you know that I am often touched at a deep level by your passionate prose. Many a wordsmith says much less with many more words. Your bipolar analysis and assessment of friendship also has a third POV. As much as Jesus himself, the God of Love, was hated or ignored by many, his entourage of 'friends' numbered easily in the hundreds, but he only mentioned 12 disciples; and only three of them were noted as friends. I think the lesson in that is not serendipitous but obvious. We cannot be best friends with everyone, but when we find a friend, we'll know them by the time interacting in each others lives. You are loved and respected by many more than you know. shalom.
Post a Comment