Friendship

About three weeks ago my church’s senior pastor presented a sermon on friendship.  One of his statements from the sermon is still staying with me.  He said, “Sometimes we treat friendships like a paper plate at a picnic…tossed away when it is no longer needed.” It was a strong statement but one that spoke to me.   He challenged the church in attendance to avoid treating friends as disposable commodities.    His words were even more challenging as he discussed the in vogue topic of “loneliness” and it’s pervasiveness in many people’s lives in the midst of our high-tech world.

Since that sermon I have been contemplating my own approach to friendship.  I have only so much time and energy to share and that is true for most people.  We can’t befriend the world but becoming a better friend is a high and holy goal for many, including me.    

So, first, I want to be God’s friend. That’s where I start.  If nothing else, there is a commitment from God that is unchanging and not humanly fickle.  Yes, God and me.  That’s a win-win and I need that more than anything.

Second, my pets have always been my unconditional friend.  Lucy, our black 12 year old Pug is faithful to the core.  She loves me and loves people and loves my family.  What more can a dog owner ask? 

Third, I want to be a better friend and I can only hope to receive the same care from others.  Friendship takes time, money, caring, and patience to name a few underlying parts of the friendship, give and take, equation.  Most of the time the friendship is in a fluid state and subject to life’s challenges that each friendship experiences.   There is an ebb and flow of the caring, giving, and receiving. 

To conclude I am thankful for my friends.  I want to be a faithful, good friend to others as I am able.   It’s a lifelong pursuit but it is certainly not easy.  Blessings to you and to me as we work on being a friend and having friends.