F is for Friendship!

Friendships are one of the true cornerstones of life. God made us social beings for a reason, He created us to be in relationship with others. My friendships have changed throughout the years, a lot! I still have a couple (almost) lifelong friendships, though they have also changed through the years. As we change ourselves, it is inevitable that friendships will begin and end as a result. Some are lasting, some are fleeting, some are healthy and some are just plain unhealthy. Sometimes when we meet a new friend, we just KNOW that they will never truly go away…they are ‘lifers’ as we say. There is a saying out there that some people come into your life for a reason, others for a season and still others for a lifetime. Don’t quote me on that, I’m sure the actual saying is far more eloquent, however…you get the drift. My take on that little motto is this:

Friends for a reason come into our lives for just that…a specific reason, to help us through a difficult time, provide us with some type of support, be it emotional, spiritual, physical or all three! They are placed in our lives specifically to meet that need, for that purpose and time. When that time/difficulty passes, the relationship comes to an end.

Friends come into our lives for a season when there is something to teach or share. This goes both ways, I believe.  God places new friends in our lives for seasons when He sees a need for us to grow, be challenged or to help others grow or challenge them. In my experience, these ‘seasonal’ friendships are usually filled with joy. I believe that God has placed me in many ‘seasonal’ friendships at this time in my life’s journey, as He is calling me to a much higher place spiritually as I am in a difficult ‘life season’.

Finally, I like to refer to those friends who are placed with us for a lifetime as the framework for our friendships. These are the friendships that we either knowingly or unknowingly base all other friendships upon! They are the friends who you will just about put up with anything from, just because you can’t imagine your life without them in it. I am blessed to have a few of those special friends in my life.

Here’s hoping that God will bless all of your friendships, those for a reason, season and lifetime!