Close Friends

I am blessed with many friends. I am thankful for each one and their role in my life. I have friends whom I haven’t seen in months, and when we connect, we pick up right where we left off. I have friends who are close by that if I needed to meet them for coffee or lunch to discuss a pressing issue, they would clear their calendar. I would do the same for them. There are friends if I needed them to come to my house right now because I need them, they would come. Close friends are a huge blessing. Close friends can encourage, inspire, counsel, love, challenge and help give life to my soul. I believe that when God created man, He wired us for meaningful friendship. Check this out……

⁹ The heartfelt counsel of a friend
    is as sweet as perfume and incense.

¹⁰ Never abandon a friend—
    either yours or your father’s.
When disaster strikes, you won’t have to ask your brother for assistance.
    It’s better to go to a neighbor than to a brother who lives far away.

¹⁷ As iron sharpens iron,
    so a friend sharpens a friend. (Proverbs 27:9-10,17 NLT)

Friendship needs truth.

Friendship needs time.

Friendship needs love.

Friendship needs patience.

Friendship needs presence.

Friendship needs trust.

Friendship needs confidentiality.

Friendship needs accountability. (This list could go on and on!)

I have friends who are acquaintances. I have friends who will move heaven and earth to come to be with me in a crisis. I have friends who can call me or text me on my cell and I will go to them. Friends are a gift from God that is given to each other. My values are important to  my friends.

I love the song: Thank You For Being A Friendby Andrew Gold – it is better known as the theme song for The Golden Girls.

If you’re reading this short blog and you’re my friend, please know that I’m thankful for you. I may barely know you, but your love and kindness doesn’t go unnoticed. I’m not sure how many close friends that one person can manage, but it’s a relatively small number. I once heard a speaker say that on my deathbed, I will want about 8-10 people in the room or very close by.

Jesus called us His friends. Check this out….

¹² This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. ¹³ There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. ¹⁶ You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:12-17 NLT)

I want to be the best friend I can be to others. I want to always be honest, trustworthy, present, kind and full of love.

Pressing On!

Dwayne