Building Friendships

I missed sharing with you yesterday morning. It was one of those “no signal” days and as hard as I tried throughout the day I was still unable to get any internet connection. But even though I was unable to put words to screen I prayed for you all to have an amazing day, recognizing the Lord’s presence.

Two days ago, we were having one of those socked-in raining afternoons. It isn’t like that very often, so Dave and I found one of our favorite cowboy movies, a two-part, three-hour feature and made an afternoon of it. This movie is all about friendship, “Buffalo Girls”.

The eight main characters have years of friendship. Sometimes, they fight with one another, actually come to blows; sometimes, years go by and they never see one another but each reunion is sweet and filled with joy. There are rousing confrontations when faults are exposed. Friendship is built on honesty and trust. You find that in the lives of these characters.

There is heart ache and sadness. These friends help one another deal with the pain. At the end, two of our main characters die and they share their grief.

As I watched my eyes filled with tears. My thoughts were of friends we hold dear. Some we haven’t seen in years. We miss them dearly and love them deeply. Their lives have intertwined with ours for years and years.

The key to good friendship is not finding people you agree with in every situation. The key is to love without judging, allowing them to be who God made them to be and not who we want them to be. Friendship comes from living life together, sometimes its messy, and being committed to bringing out the best and not dwelling on the worst.

“You can see the speck in your friend’s eye, but you don’t notice the log in your own eye. ⁴ How can you say, “My friend, let me take the speck out of your eye,” when you don’t see the log in your own eye? ⁵ You’re nothing but show-offs! First, take the log out of your own eye. Then you can see how to take the speck out of your friend’s eye.” Matthew 7:3-5 CEV

It’s the Holy Spirit’s job to convict of wrong doing. We, as true friends, speak the truth in love and know that we are just as susceptible to fault as they are.

Jesus said the world would come to know Him because of the way we love one another. Let’s make that our goal.

“Now I tell you to love each other, as I have loved you. ¹³ The greatest way to show love for friends is to die for them. ¹⁴ And you are my friends, if you obey me. ¹⁵ Servants don’t know what their master is doing, and so I don’t speak to you as my servants. I speak to you as my friends, and I have told you everything that my Father has told me.

¹⁶ You did not choose me. I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit, the kind of fruit that will last. Then my Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name. ¹⁷ So I command you to love each other.” John 15:12-17 CEV

Be a Jesus-kind of friend!