living life with those around you

 

Happy Wednesday, friends. I hope you're having a good week! Mine has been really good so far. Something dawned on me this week and I thought I'd share a little of what's on my heart about friendship. Unless you're living under a rock somewhere, you know that life still feels really hard right now. People are still being mean about everything, everything feels uncertain and all kinds of things just seem to be kind of hanging over our heads regarding the future. I read a lot of blogs and this one theme I keep reading about. Everyone is in the same boat! 

I just said this on someone's blog last night, that it's so important to keep meeting with friends, even in spite of whatever is going on in the world. Even more so than usual, I would even say! I tested that theory out during the time when the pandemic shut the world down. Church wasn't open, stores weren't open, everything just stopped. I'll be honest here and say that as an introvert, this didn't bother me too much at first. (Except after one week of us all home together 24/7 when I thought we were all going to strangle each other.) I could only take so long of not seeing my friends, so we started meeting every week on Thursday nights. We would bring our lawn chairs and our dinner from home (or takeout) and we would sit in the back of our church parking lot for a solid two hours. It was life giving to me during a time when I needed to be around friends.

Now that church is open again, it feels good to see my friends again. I know so many cannot go to church because of compromised immune systems, but I don't know how they make it without going back each week. I remember watching from home and though I was glad to have the streaming option, it was NOT at all the same. It wasn't for me, basically. I was distracted, I didn't participate in the worship, it just didn't feel good. I know it's better than not having anything, but I'm not willing to ever stop going, because I need constant fellowship! I know we're all made differently, but this is just how I am with this type of thing.

That being said, my best friend and I RARELY see each other these days. This week she has been tagging me in all the fun memories we experienced together as youth leaders in our church. Those were some fun times, but when we were fired "retired" from that, we had to make plans to see each other more regularly. We also make the time to talk on the phone frequently, so that's a good alternative when we can't make seeing each other face to face. I have a few other friends I like to go out with once in a while as well. Just this week, I had dinner with one of my best friends Andrea, and it was so good to see her. It had been way too long since we last saw one another, but we try to meet once a month. I do that with my friend Christa as well, and I like to go out with Missy and our friend Teresa after church on Wednesday nights. The point of all that is, we make time to see each other. When we don't do that, we at least text pretty often. 

On a side note, other things I love to do is to take day or weekend trips with friends. I've only done this a few times with Missy, then Missy and Teresa, and in the spring and over the summer, I took two girls trip with my writing team buddies from church—one trip was to the mountains and one trip was to the beach. I love to shop and sightsee with friends and have made some pretty great memories with them. 

It's so important to make the time for this kind of thing. As a believer, I think the enemy messes me with so much when I'm alone. He wants me to be that way with little fellowship and it's in those moments that I struggle with anxiety. He is good at his job! I have to stay connected all the time. I also have to stay grounded in my relationship with Jesus. I feel disconnected from Him when I don't read His word and when I don't pray. It's exactly the same when I don't see or spend time with my best friend. That's what I compare my relationship with Him too. 

The Bible says some things about the gift of godly friendship. 

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty. Job 6:14

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25

I'd love to hear about some friendships in your life! How do you stay in touch when you can't necessarily see each other regularly? What kinds of things do you like to do together? I'd seriously love to hear some stories! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all. ❤