photo by amanda-venner

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one” – C.S. Lewis“

Ah, friendship.  It is a beautiful feeling to have people that you can call your friends, your allies, your buds, chums, and besties. 

But they can be hard, I think, especially for women at times.  I know it can be for me.  I think it starts as early as grade school.  The fear of acceptance, the worries of having someone to sit next to in lunch and play with at recess.  Approaching the group of girls that you want to play with.  The handing out of friendship bracelets and necklaces that declare you are “best friends”.  In jr. high it is invites to sleepovers, high school it is hanging out on Friday nights and someone to double date with.  You envy the girl in gym class who is athletic, smart, and can leave looking as fresh and pretty as she was when she came.  You secretly compare jean sizes and who has the designer sweaters.  We have this tendency to be competitive and comparative and it doesn’t go away the minute we walk across the stage and graduate.  They follow us to college and creep in the back door at church and slink behind us as we shuttle our children to every activity they are involved with.  We can often allow our insecurities to get a grip on us and allow them to prevent us from having these amazing relationships that God brings into our lives.  I know that I am sometimes afraid to let other women see who I really am, scared to let someone get too close in case I may fail at being a friend.   Nervous to let me guard down.   

But friendships are truly a gift from God.  I believe that He brings friends into our lives to encourage, love, and support us.  To hold us accountable, walk with us through pain, make us laugh, bring chocolate when it is desperatly needed, love and appreciate all the little quirks that make us who we are.  To hold our hand when we are scared about the uncertain and the unknown. 

“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” – Helen Keller

“A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked” – Bernard Meltzer

I have a pretty amazing group of friends, and I have walked through some trials and they are still standing by me so I know they are the best of the best.   I sometimes wonder if I am being to them the kind of friend that they are to me.  I have found myself desiring to be a better friend, to pursue my friendships on a deeper level.  I pray that I am an support and encouragement to them and a cheerleader in their life. 

Proverbs 27:17,  “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”

You may have wondered about the title of this post.  Well, here’s the story.  About 25 years ago I sat in a Sunday school class completely shy and scared, knowing no one at all.  A little girl sat down by me and asked, “Do you want a Lifesaver?”  25 years later I still get to call her my friend. 

So in the words of Charles Dickens, “Friendship? Yes Please.”

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