True Friendship

I recently had a birthday, which was celebrated with significantly more pomp than usual.  My friends lavished me with kind words and attention, cards and gifts, invitations to go out for coffee.  This has all been a bit unusual for me; birthdays are usually a rather quiet affair in our household.  And it’s not even a “benchmark” year for me.

So what’s the difference?  These friends have been through it all with me this year.  They have patiently accepted my depressed silences.  They have encouraged and prayed with me.  They have come over at a moment’s notice to care for me.  They have lived my pain with me.

There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.  Proverbs 18:24(NLT)

These friends are overjoyed at my recent upswing.  They are celebrating with me; celebrating having survived this year, and celebrating my continual recovery.

Being more open and transparent with my friends, some of them new acquaintances, has been an amazing experience.  As we share struggles and hardships with each other, we make ourselves vulnerable.  Vulnerable to possible betrayal and hurt feelings, but also open to truly sharing our lives as the bride of Christ.  Living in community with each other, sharing the joy and the pain together.

My friends have also had struggles of their own this past year, and being able to share their struggles has been an honor.  Sometimes, in the midst of my own pain, it was a relief to focus on their needs, praying for them and just forgetting myself for a moment.

At other times, they have been listeners and advisors.  When I have doubted my own ability to make sane judgments, I have relied on my friends to assist me.

The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.  Proverbs 27:9(NLT)

Through most of my married life, I have had a scarcity of friends.  I have had an unfulfilled desire for these types of relationships for a long time.  I find it no coincidence that at just the moment I needed the support, I had a veritable explosion of companions.  So to you, my dear friends, I say, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.” (Philippians 1:3)