">
Posted in Friendship
|
This is the cross-stitch I made for a friend’s birthday recently. What a treasure true friendship is. When we were stationed at our very first squadron duty station as a married couple, we became close friends with two other Navy couples. We women were in the first stages of our child-bearing eras. The men were deploying and coming in and out. Our home-towns and families were far away. Babies were being born. We hung together with tenacity and endured the brutal ice storms and snow pile-ups of Maine. We had lobster cook-outs, sang praise songs, studied the Bible together and kept each other accountable for growing in the Lord. We had our favorite restaurant we’d head to after church as families. We even took an ambitious and crazy winter vacation together to a cozy cabin in NH and had let’s see…five children under the age of 5 and six adults in that tiny three bedroom place. My dh took our newborn to the car one midnight so the rest of the cabin could sleep! Somehow our hearts were knit together in a deep way during this poignant era of our lives. How precious these friends and others are to me! After going our separate ways and living far apart for the last 7 years, we are on the verge of being stationed all together with these folks once again on an island in the pacific! This is a much anticipated reunion. As I stitched that little piece of needlework recently, I reflected on these women and considered what has made them really long-lasting friends. Naturally, it could go without saying that they are people we ENJOY! They are fun, hilarious and spunky! We love them for lots of reasons, but they’re people who are adventurous, seize the day, and “suck the marrow out of life,” so to speak. On the other hand, part of what knits us together has been the hardships we’ve endured as individuals yet shared as friends during those times…many of which were gut-wrenching, faith challenging, tough experiences for each of us. Veneers came down, and we didn’t try to pretend our lives were perfect. Through vulnerability and compassion, these friendships have stood the test of honesty. …they’ve also made it through the "honesty" of interpersonal ups and downs, miscommunications and reconciliations. We’ve had times that have illustrated the verse, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Pr 27:6). Real friends help rub away at our blind spots and imperfections, while believing the best about each other.
Great friendships require time and effort though. In order to stand the test of time, they take time, intentionality, sensitivity. Competition kills friendships. Camaraderie builds it. Friendships thrive under the grace of giving with no strings attached. Sometimes we’ve had to adjust our expectations of each other. But underneath it all in the marrow is Christ-centered agape & phileo love…the “in spite of everything” kind. One thing that struck me as I heard the tragic story of the man involved in the recent abductions of those two boys in MO was his statement, “I was lonely.” That obviously wasn't his only problem. But, he was isolated. He was living as an island. Dangerous and tragic. How powerful the influence of good friends living in community by contrast. Scripture, especially Proverbs, is full of references to the significance and value of friends.
A friend will challenge you, fascinate you, inspire you and cause you to marvel at God’s creativity in designing different humans! Like the flowers in a garden or the seashells on the shore, friends are indeed treasures to savor. Celebrate and invest in your friendships far and near. I'm thanking God today for each dear one I have.
|
Comments
|
|
|
|
|
Posted by
|
|
|
|
|
Posted by
|
|
|
|
|
Posted by
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted by
|
|
|
|
|