Friendships

So… we all have friends right? Of course we do. Some of us have several.

There can be several levels of friendships. There is that casual friend, you know the one you may see once in awhile or maybe chat on social media here and there. Then, there is the good friend, the one you keep in touch with weekly or more.

You can also have the “BC” friend, aka before Christ. You still keep in touch but not like before. Your new self scares them.

Then, you may have the lifelong friend; they know pretty much everything about you. Or the best friend, the one you call no matter what time it is to talk you through whatever is going on.

You get what I’m saying. A friend is someone you don’t take advantage of, you are there for them as they are for you.

Can you have more than one friend? Absolutely, we all need friends. I have a few of all the ones listed above and I cherish them dearly. But keep in mind, you aren’t always going to agree and that’s ok. Just remember this is someone that you can count on, trust, confide in.

A friend is that person that shows up at your house when it is a total disaster or you are in your nastiest sweats and t-shirt and they just want to hang out and have a cup of coffee or tea. They don’t care about all the mess.

Proverbs 27:17 says… As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Ok, so we have discussed normal friendships, but let’s look at a friendship that might be a little out of the ordinary, maybe even taken a little too far. When that happens it puts a major strain on the friendship. You get jealous when they hang out with others and don’t involve you. You want their complete attention. Is this really a friendship or an obsession? This isn’t healthy for either person.

We have to be careful with our friendships and we can’t smother one another. That is the one true way to ruin it. We love hanging out with them but they need their space also. We can’t get all bent out of shape when they say, “I need my space” or some me time. It doesn’t mean they don’t want to be your friend, they just might need time to reboot or recharge.

Friendship is a gift, so let’s be sure to honor their boundaries. I hope this inspires someone today.

Be blessed and always remember to never let your cup be empty.

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Lou Ann Virden is the author of the blog Farmhouse, Coffee and Jesus. She is very active in her church. She volunteers in the food pantry, usher/greeter team, and cleaning crew. She is on the prayer team, is over the sound room team, and she writes the newsletter for her church. Lou Ann and her husband Donnie will be relaunching The Refuge 180 Evangelism Ministry. They have been married for over 40 years. They live on her husband’s family farm with their dog Hunter. In the summer they are busy canning what they harvest from their garden. Her hobbies include going to the beach, reading, camping, and serving however she can. She hopes that her blogs inspires someone that might be dealing with a similar situation.