Friendship



Flowers bordering ferry slip on Fort Morgan, Alabama.  April 24, 2011



I am so very blessed to have wonderful Christian friends!  For some reason, we seem to be growing closer together now.  We want to do more things together.  I am realizing that my girlfriends are so  much fun to be around!  We laughed so hard this past Saturday night that my ribs ache!  We have some REALLY sarcastic women in our group, myself being one of them.  But each of us are also willing to listen when the others have problems they want to share, things that need prayer.  There's a verse in  Proverbs (27:17) that says "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend."  When we stick together as Christians, we are there for each other.  We can help lighten each other's loads.  We can gently point out areas that need to be strengthened, and have our own flaws mentioned, too.  We can even help our faith grow stronger, together.

There is another verse, Proverbs 18:24, that says "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."  This is a verse that I have to remind myself about constantly. I can't expect people to just come up and be my friends.  I have to step outside my comfort zone (which is to run and hide, wondering why no one likes me), work at the relationship, cultivate the friendship.  And when I do, I am rewarded by friends who will stand by me.  Through the bad times and the good.  I also wonder if this verse hints at the closeness of a person with his Savior?

Isn't it wonderful to have friends?  The good, Christian friends who share your values?  Don't they make life easier and more fun?  Who are your friends?  Hey, do you know the greatest Friend of all?

Reese