Friendship
"A friend loves at all times"- Proverbs 17:17
I've been trying to figure out what to write about on my blog, and nothing came to mind until I read this verse today. After reading it, something just triggered inside of me. I've been thinking about friendship a lot lately, and how important it is to me. Through some close observations (you know how much I enjoy observing people :p) I have realized that many of us have forgotten how to be a good friend. Throughout my life, I have made some really good friends- one's that I'm still friends with today. But when I think about all the friends that I have lost and am no longer in touch with, it makes me sad.
What I've noticed is that a lot of us don't realize how important friendship actually is and what it means to be a good friend. Sometimes it really frustrates me when I see how people treat their friends. For instance, a couple of years ago I had a friend that I was really close with, and we used to talk to each other everyday, and then all of a sudden everything changed. We no longer talked, and no matter how hard I tried to stay in touch, they just weren't interested. It was like she no longer needed me as a friend. But you see, what we forget is that when you become friends with someone, you are committed to that person. What I mean by that is... you are there for them through the good AND the bad. Even if you may not agree with what someone is doing, you do not abandon them, you stick by their side. Sometimes just having someone there to talk to can make a huge difference. I know it can be hard trying to be there for someone when you don't agree with what they're doing, but if you leave them cold and dry then there's going to be no one they can depend on.
To help explain what I'm rambling about lol, I would like to talk about one of my closest friends who has stuck by me for fifteen years. Her name is Rebecca, and we met back when I lived in Brighton. She has been there for me since the beginning, and I know I can go to her for anything. She accepts me for who I am, and I always know that I can depend on her- even when I'm struggling. The most amazing thing about this friendship is that we've been able to stay in touch for all these years. It's not easy when you live 3 hours (or I guess it's 12 hours now) from the person. But, we worked at it everyday- we made sure we sent out emails, talked on msn. That's what being a friend is all about. There's none of this... 'well I'll be your friend today, but tomorrow you'll be nothing but a pebble in my shoe'. If you think about it, you never actually lose any friends completely, because they remain in your memory forever. But isn't it so much better to have an actual real life friendship, instead of a memory? I'm probably not making any sense right now, but that's ok :).
There was something that someone said to me a couple of weeks ago that completely horrified me. They told me that it is wrong for a parent to befriend their children. Honestly, what's the big deal if you're friends with your parents? Zac and I were having another discussion a couple of days ago about parenting. He asked me what I would do if my child started getting into drugs or alcohol- would I condemn them for their lifestyle, or would I accept them? Well, I knew exactly how to answer that question. Of course I would accept them, and it frustrates me when parents don't do that. I know I don't have much say in this area, because I'm not married and I don't have any kids, but I still know how I feel about it. I think it's the parents job to make sure that they are there for their kids no matter what. If you don't agree with what they're doing, you still have to love them and treat them like a normal human being. If you were to spend a day in your kids shoes, what would they be thinking? The only 2 people in the world that they thought they could depend on, have abandoned them. Who are they supposed to go to when their friends abandon them? A home is supposed to be a place you can go to for protection and for encouragement. But where are they supposed to go when their whole family doesn't accept them for who they are? Anyway, this whole situation frustrates me.
The point that I'm trying to make is that we need to remember the importance of friendship. Friendship is so special to God! I look at friendship as a precious jewel- it's beautiful, valuable, and hard to find. We need to treasure each friendship we have because it's not everyday we find someone we can depend on. Remind your friends of how special they are to you. Believe me, it'll make their day:)
What I've noticed is that a lot of us don't realize how important friendship actually is and what it means to be a good friend. Sometimes it really frustrates me when I see how people treat their friends. For instance, a couple of years ago I had a friend that I was really close with, and we used to talk to each other everyday, and then all of a sudden everything changed. We no longer talked, and no matter how hard I tried to stay in touch, they just weren't interested. It was like she no longer needed me as a friend. But you see, what we forget is that when you become friends with someone, you are committed to that person. What I mean by that is... you are there for them through the good AND the bad. Even if you may not agree with what someone is doing, you do not abandon them, you stick by their side. Sometimes just having someone there to talk to can make a huge difference. I know it can be hard trying to be there for someone when you don't agree with what they're doing, but if you leave them cold and dry then there's going to be no one they can depend on.
To help explain what I'm rambling about lol, I would like to talk about one of my closest friends who has stuck by me for fifteen years. Her name is Rebecca, and we met back when I lived in Brighton. She has been there for me since the beginning, and I know I can go to her for anything. She accepts me for who I am, and I always know that I can depend on her- even when I'm struggling. The most amazing thing about this friendship is that we've been able to stay in touch for all these years. It's not easy when you live 3 hours (or I guess it's 12 hours now) from the person. But, we worked at it everyday- we made sure we sent out emails, talked on msn. That's what being a friend is all about. There's none of this... 'well I'll be your friend today, but tomorrow you'll be nothing but a pebble in my shoe'. If you think about it, you never actually lose any friends completely, because they remain in your memory forever. But isn't it so much better to have an actual real life friendship, instead of a memory? I'm probably not making any sense right now, but that's ok :).
There was something that someone said to me a couple of weeks ago that completely horrified me. They told me that it is wrong for a parent to befriend their children. Honestly, what's the big deal if you're friends with your parents? Zac and I were having another discussion a couple of days ago about parenting. He asked me what I would do if my child started getting into drugs or alcohol- would I condemn them for their lifestyle, or would I accept them? Well, I knew exactly how to answer that question. Of course I would accept them, and it frustrates me when parents don't do that. I know I don't have much say in this area, because I'm not married and I don't have any kids, but I still know how I feel about it. I think it's the parents job to make sure that they are there for their kids no matter what. If you don't agree with what they're doing, you still have to love them and treat them like a normal human being. If you were to spend a day in your kids shoes, what would they be thinking? The only 2 people in the world that they thought they could depend on, have abandoned them. Who are they supposed to go to when their friends abandon them? A home is supposed to be a place you can go to for protection and for encouragement. But where are they supposed to go when their whole family doesn't accept them for who they are? Anyway, this whole situation frustrates me.
The point that I'm trying to make is that we need to remember the importance of friendship. Friendship is so special to God! I look at friendship as a precious jewel- it's beautiful, valuable, and hard to find. We need to treasure each friendship we have because it's not everyday we find someone we can depend on. Remind your friends of how special they are to you. Believe me, it'll make their day:)
posted by Autumn at 8:30 PM
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