I wanted to say just the right thing about friends. The ones I had in high school were just guys and gals to pal around with at lunch and phys ed. They helped me learn to skate, we talked on the phone about tests and television. I only went shopping once with one of them once, her driving was frightful and she was amused that I called my mother to tell her where I was and ask what time to be home. I loved my mother and would not have had her to worry, I guess she didn’t see it that way.
That strictly raised friend, though she had her flaws, married at 17. I was a Christian at 11, and a 17 yr. old who would not go to an R rated movie, my friends agreed to see something else, they later married. That was a surprise, I never kept in touch with them after I was twenty or so. In high school I liked a couple of boys who liked baseball and so did I, I even got interested in football to fit in, but they weren’t friends.
There was one boy, S—–, who I had gone all the way through school with, we became Christians on the same Friday at chapel and sobbed into each others arms at the altar after hearing the story of the crucifixion. I lost touch with him, but I think he was a friend. He lost his father and was the man of the family at an early age.
One of his friends, I didn’t care for much at first, but I sat next to him in ninth grade. He was funny and smart, listened to me, except about doing his math, he appeared to genuinely love the Lord and his family. He had two or three sisters, I can’t recall. I was friends with the oldest, K——, she was cute and very sweet. My mother often drove us to school and we got kidded for coming in together.
On the last day of school, one year, he told me he was going to kiss me…everyone was out throwing M&M ‘s at each other in the hall, the usual goof stuff students did on the last day of school. I stayed out of everyone’s way that day, I just wanted to go home. Isn’t high school crazy? I didn’t get the kiss, and he moved away.
If I look back at friends, I know that there a couple I overlooked, they were sweet and I should have paid more attention to them. One loved to read the stories I wrote. I know I didn’t spend enough time with her. One was a singer, who really was sweet to me, and she could belt out the solos in church, she moved on. Reading, writing and a singer, I was too busy avoiding trouble from the troublemakers and teachers who were quick to judge me when I was not one of the crowd.
Maybe, you know someone like that, the one that’s left out. Picked on, even after school, there are people you might work with, or even at church, just say hello and see what happens. Or even the one who is popular but needs a real friend. All loners are not crazy, sometimes, God is calling the lonely, it takes a broken heart to heal another.
So in my 20’s, they were just memories. I heard about a marriage or a baby and the comment about where was my third novel, when I had not written the first. No calls, dinners or a card. I didn’t really search them out either, still haven’t with Facebook or anything. In a day when you can friend or unfriend someone so easily, I’m sure friendship is even more fleeting. That’s why if you have a kindred spirit, hang on to that person, man or woman, yes you can have platonic friends, but your husband or wife should be the best one besides a parent, or Jesus, of course. I had to block one man who persisted on chatting me up, my life was none of his business. I was blocked unjustly just recently, most comments on my blog or Pinterest are complimentary, thoughtful and even uplifting to my soul as I serve my Lord, I am grateful for that.
A real friend will keep in touch, go out to lunch, go to the mall. They will will also know when you’re tired and let you rest. They won’t push you into doing the wrong things if you are a Christian. They will listen to you and not always be talking about themselves, what they think or how they see it and not always want you to solve their problems. They won’t always ask you for money. If they borrow it, they’ll pay it back. Or the dress or the book, they’d wash your car if you loaned it. Or buy some gas. They will pick up the check sometimes.
Your dog will like them. Dogs are an excellent judge of people. I think this why I confided so much n my poodle, Cozy, I could tell her anything. I worry about people that dogs don’t like. I would tell her all about Jesus, now she is with Him.
People who love you lighten your load, they don’t burden you. And when you do help, in His love, it is not a bother or a burden, even if sometimes, it is not a good time. You may minister to some people who are not going to be friends. You will have many acquaintances. You will have friends, but only a couple of really close ones. I have FB friends, Pin friends, but there are friends and there are friends, some of them I talk to more and even family is the same, I was the one always calling to check up on them. Forever friends, choose them wisely, with the help of your best friend, Jesus. And that is true of husbands as well, he should be a forever friend.
Jesus call us friends if we do as He says. So my servant heart actually does have forever friends in Jesus. We are to bless Him and to forget His benefits. Psalm 103
Ana Francisconi, pexels, thank you.
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