Friendships

Why is it that friendships are such tricky things? I am always left feeling like there should be more. It's a strange feeling. I wish I had more girlfriends, yet I have so many when I start thinking about it. I wish I had that ONE person that knew all of my secrets, yet I do...I married him. It's a strange thing. I feel like I give and give and yet others don't have time for me. I have 2 kids and a house to run as well...but I feel like with friendships you just have to make the time. I feel like people don't realize that I see how they make time for others because I see their interactions on facebook, yet somehow there isn't time for me. I go through these phases...woe is me...then I get over it. I have exactly who I need in Jesus. I try to focus on that. I try to focus on the fact that he has given me my very best friend to walk beside me in life. I try to focus on how very blessed I am. I still hate that some friendships have changed from strong and solid to distant friends that catch up every once in a while. I miss those friends. Do these feelings happen to anyone else?

"Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matt. 11:28-30

Frienships are also tricky things when there are disagreements. You feel hurt, betrayed, angry, let down, and right! Then as I spend time praying and in my quiet time I hear God telling me areas that I could have done differently in handling the situation. I am an emotional person {thanks Dad}. I get worked up, and then calm back down to rational thinking. But when I am rational I really try to live the way Jesus did. I try to do what's right in His eyes even if it means apologizing when I don't really feel I should have to. That can be such a hard pill to swallow. Pride is an ugly thing. But, I always feel better when I know I have done absolutely everything I can to rectify the situation. Then if the relationship is not restored, it is not my burden to bear. Though I still try to pick up that burden often times only to remember that whatever pettiness or vindictiveness is there is meant for me to give to Jesus to carry. I'm overwhelmed that He is willing to take my burdens!!!!

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17

Friendships are also tricky things because they spring up so quickly and beautifully sometimes. They come about in places you'd never expect them to come. I have prayed for some friends close by. I am, by nature, a social person. I love spending time with friends. My parents spent lots of time with their friends as I was growing up, and I guess I just became accustomed to it. However, when we moved to Paulding County, I was no longer close in distance to my closest friends. I had left a great friend back in Eastman, had another living in PCB, and still others that I was now closer to, but still not close by any means...hello Woodstock! :) I can't tell you how many times I prayed for friends close by. Do not tell me God doesn't answer prayer. I now have a sweet friend that lives across the street from me, and others I met at work this year! Some of those I met at work were co-workers so there is usually some friendships that form that way, however, another sweet friend I have is the parent of one of my students. It was an unexpected friendship that formed quickly, and I am so glad it did!

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:" Ecclesiastes 3:1

And then there is the trickyness {is that a word?} of those friendships that were so close that it really doesn't matter how long it has been or how far apart you have been from each other, you just seem to pick up right where you left off. I have a couple of those kind of friends. We go through seasons where we talk all the time and then other seasons where we don't talk quite as much. However, if there is a need for prayer or something one of us needs to talk about the other is always there! These are the people I immediately thought of and called when the doctor told us Hudson wasn't forming the way he should be, and I should prepare myself for a miscarriage. All I could say to them was...PRAY! And pray they did! And I have a precious, healthy, thriving almost 4 year old who is an absolute answer to prayer! Pray they did for me for 16 months of trying to conceive Kendan...who is also an absolute answer to prayer. And pray I am doing now for one of them every time I can remember because she is going through the absolute hardest time of her life!



Just some thoughts on friendships. I wanted to get my feelings written down. I know most of you probably won't read all of this, and that's ok. I just know it can be hard when we are around little ones all day to imagine anyone else feels the same way as us. I'm so thankful for the friends I have in my life. I hope to instill the value of friendship and of being a good friend to my boys.