Friendship
Let’s be honest, maintaining friendships, let alone, making new friends, can be really, really hard. You are wildly busy all the time. Whether you’re running your kiddos across the city every other night, or you’re working that 9 – 5 that has somehow become more like an 8 – 7, it’s difficult to find the time for more: more people, more relationships, more energy poured out. I’m exhausted just typing it. So, what do you do?
Do you let relationships fall to the wayside and stop trying to meet new people? Here’s my challenge to you today – Don’t give up on friendship.
The other day I got to catch up with my very best friend. And oh boy did we have a lot of catching up to do. After 10 years working in the medical field, she decided to pursue her degree in nursing and just started her first full-time job as a certified nurse. Which means, while she has the super cool schedule of only working three days a week – it’s mostly evenings and weekends – so I never see her. I’m so proud of her for pursuing her dreams but honestly, I’ve been throwing a lot of temper tantrums lately and feeling very distant from my closest friend. And while I wish I could cast all the blame on her – my life is not easy to work around either. Due to my early wake up call, I’m going to bed way earlier than the average person and I don’t always have a ton of energy when our schedules do happen to align.
The point being – everyone has something in their life that could get in the way. I’m sure you could list off quiet a few things that make it harder for you to stay connected with your people.
However, when you find the space and make room for friendship, you find that it is worth it every single time.
As my friend and I caught up over coffee three things became evident:
- We were both going through some tough trials and hadn’t had someone to encourage us or to simply just listen.
- While life was and is wildly busy – constantly surrounded by people – we both were experiencing a deep loneliness.
- When we made the effort to simply show up for coffee – the encouragement and joy we experienced was worth every minute we gave up in our schedules.
How can you make room in your life for a friend today? Maybe you can grab coffee like we did or maybe it’s a quick and simple call (*gasp* I know, calls are becoming something of the past – Facetime works too).
However you can squeeze in just a little bit of catch-up time I think you’ll find that just like you, you’re friend has a lot on their plate and needs someone to remind them that they are not in fact alone. And when that connection is made – the joy that is found there can only be explained by the love of a really awesome God who desires for you to feel seen, valued and heard.
Don’t give up on friendship. Our friends are the ones who see us and choose us just like you saw them and chose them. Make the space and the time…I promise it will be worth it.
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Ecclesiastes 4: 9 -10
Questions to Ponder:
- Who could you reach out to today and find time to reconnect?
- How have you seen God use a friendship to bring you joy recently?
- What could you do to uplift and encourage someone in your life who may be feeling the same loneliness as you?
