Skip to main content

True Friendships

We all have friends.  Some are friends that may have been with you for a lifetime.  Some you met in high school, college or even your job.  Some were made by going through a similar life event.  Some were accidental.  Some have let you down and no longer make it to friendship status.

But we all have friends.  And we all need them.  Each of my friends brings a unique quality to my life that I love so much and need so desperately.  Not each one is on the same "friendship level", though.  I have friends that know my deepest struggles, my biggest life adventures, my craziest pet peeves.  Others are my extremely funny ones that I can go to when I'm down knowing THEY will bring me back up.  And, honestly, some are surface friends.  More cordial acquaintances, if you will.  But each have an importance in my life.

Jesus had 12 very close friends the Bible refer to as his disciples.  Those men walked for three years with Him and knew Him in a deeply personal way.  They were front and center when He cried after another dear friend, Lazarus died.  They were there when He laughed and called the children to Him.  They were there in His exhaustion when He would get in a boat and sail away from the chaos for a little while.    They were with Him when a storm scared them and He was called on to calm the seas.  They sat as His feet as He taught them.  And, they watched in horror as their beloved friend was killed.

As I read March 14:32-42 this week about Jesus in Gethsemane right before He would be lead to His crucifixion, it reminded me about how lonely He must have been.  Only He and His Father understood with certainty what He was facing.  As much as He tried to explain it to His friends, they weren't grasping it.  Jesus faced the biggest fight of His life and His friends FELL ASLEEP.  He was begging them, needing them to support Him, desiring any one of them to hold HIM up as He has done so many times for them.  His world was crashing down and the three that were with Him slept.

But remember in Mark 4:35-41 when the storm came and Jesus was sleeping?!  They woke Him up in a huff and accused Him of not caring if they drowned!  Funny how the tables turned.

Even with many friends, we go through periods of loneliness, me included.  As I read this, I was reminded that even in my own time of loneliness, I need to look around to see who might need support.  Usually the one who needs the most support won't ask for it.  And, if they are asking for your friendship, don't fall asleep!  

AND, it is most important to not neglect our relationship with Jesus.  He desires to speak to you daily, to hear from you daily.  He loves you more than anyone in your "friend list", anyone in your contacts in your phone.  And He will be there when the storms come rolling in, sheltering you, loving you, comforting you. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Unemployed - Part Two

In my last post I mentioned this would be the "rest of the story". I realized a bit ago that this actually is just the middle of the story as God hasn't shown me the "rest" yet. Again, I'm not going to go through and edit this. Again, I'm just being real, typos and all. Where we left off, I'd left my job and now you understand why more fully. It was my mental health or working for her. I chose health. A few weeks before I left, I'd heard a song by my current favorite band, Unspoken. If you know me well, you'll know that I latch onto one specific band or artist and stick with them on a constant loop of their songs until another band sneaks in. I've been listening to Unspoken on that loop for about six months now. Coincidence? Nah. I worked for her for five months. One month prior the Lord started infiltrating my head with life-giving music. He knew.  One song, Sleep in the Storm, hit me hard a few weeks ago. It is the telling of the story ...
Post a Comment
Read more

What's in a Name?

Her name is Janice.  Who? The homeless woman who lives in the alley across the street from my work. She has a cart and a small suitcase always by her side. She always sleeps sitting up - at least anytime I see her. I've taken her a bag of water and some snacks once. I pray for her a lot. Until yesterday, I'd only spoken to her once - the time I dropped off the water and snacks. I told her my name and asked her hers. She spoke it quietly, barely above a whisper.  Yesterday I saw her standing at the end of the alley rather than sleeping in the back of it. I dug through my purse and pulled out two fives. I unrolled my window and drove up to her at the alley. I called her name to get her to come to me. Her head shot up and she just stared at me. She seemed shocked to be called that or that I remembered her. Then she came to me and we talked and I handed her the money. A few seconds after she left my car, I heard the manager of another local business call her by her name and ask ho...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thank the Lord seasons change!

But blessed is the one who trusts in the L ord , whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8   Life hasn't been super easy lately. Like-it's been hard. Personally harder than I can remember it being in longer than...well, I don't know. I've talked a little about it. Shared a little about it. Told a little on social media about it. But the deep things - the things that have kept me up at night and brought torrents of tears? Nope, only a few have heard those things. We don't all have to hear everyone's deepest hurts, frustrations, and pains. We just need to realize that at any moment, someone might be living some of their deepest struggles. I don't know when life is going to calm down. I wish there was an end date so I could look forward to that...
Post a Comment
Read more