Friendship

10/3/14



I apologize for the constant reflective posts lately, but lately my days have been filled with more pondering then adventuring.  I've lately become incredibly thankful for some friends of mine that never cease to put a smile on my face, make me feel loved, and aren't afraid to talk about the important, deep issues.  Some I see multiple times a week, others maybe once a month, and still others I've never even met in person.

I've been learning what it means to cultivate friendships and the different kinds of friendships that there are.  Transitioning from living in a dorm to living the "grown-up" life off campus has proved to grow some friendships while hindering others.

The problem?  I have to realize that there is not one.  I had this idea in my head (a super prideful one) that I would move away on my own, have things all together, and be able to encourage and minister to my friends that are still on campus and in school.  Oh, how quickly the Lord dashed my pride on that one.

I talked about this in more details with two of my closest friends and their response was as always encouraging and truthful.  That is what I want my relationships to be filled with.  I want my friendships to be filled with encouragement that flows from the grace and love of Christ and to be honest, truthful, and confrontational.  The friends that have proved to stick by my side through the good and bad have proved to have those attributes.  I am still praying and learning how to be able to reciprocate that to them, as I feel I so often fall incredibly short.

I'm not really sure what the point of this post is, but I guess just to say that I am thankful for the people the Lord has placed around me at this point in my life.

As I get older, I have learned what friendship is supposed to be according to a biblical standard.  I am thankful to say that I believe that those friendship that are being cultivated right now and I don't see waning away anytime soon are built on and around the Lord.  I love to have coffee, icecream, and go on adventures with friends.  But all in all, I don't want to be there just for my own selfish gain to be filled up, but I want to give just a bit of the encouragement and love that has been poured onto me so graciously.  I want these types of friendships to continue throughout my life, no matter where I live or go.  I know that may be hard, traveling, and living in another country one day.  But for now, I'll just enjoy the friendships I've been blessed with. 


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