Friendships of Delight
“Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul.” Proverbs 27:9
I absolutely adore the friendships the Lord has placed in my life. I have some which have lasted 38 years, others started in grade school, some are past co-workers and I’ve gained new ones along the way. The levels of closeness may be different but they are cherished in my heart.
I value their opinions, their thoughts and the depths of our conversations. These wonderful people in my life are like a refreshing glass of sweet iced tea on a warm spring afternoon. They just make you feel good from the inside out.
We are now the parents sitting on front porch chairs as we watch our children hop from one muddy puddle to the next. All the while as we look to each other and laugh with the saying, “It is what it is” lingering upon our lips. In the back of our minds, we know good and well the towels are about to be saturated with mud but our hearts will be full of good memories. We know these moments will fade all too quickly, so we might as well enjoy them now. Mess and all.
The Lord was very clear when He instructed us to have a good community of people in our lives. We need each other to pray, encourage, hold us while we cry, and read our 2 AM Facebook messages when we feel like our life is an ocean of a mess. We need the sweet non condescending encouragement of them knowing us to our core and in turn offering simple responses of trying to make us laugh to lighten our burdens. Even if for a few moments.
He knew we couldn’t do this life alone because of the hardships we would endure. These including loss, divorce, relationship strains, dark medical diagnosis, anxious thoughts or rebellious children. We strengthen and lift each other up for as long as needed sometimes. It’s a balanced trade off of iron sharpening iron, as Proverbs 27:7 states it.
To all of the ones in my life – and you know exactly who each of you are – thank you for the uplifting prayers, carrying my burdens so I could catch my breath, and for our beloved friendship. I love you and value you more than you know.
Thank you for refreshing my soul when it was needed and I pray that as we continue in life together, I can do the same for you too.
Sweet reader, make time to cultivate the friendships the Lord has placed in your life. Pray for them even when they don’t ask for it. Love them even when they’re hard to love and plan the trips or coffee house time even if it’s short lived.
“Life is too short not to enjoy as much of it as you can.” – Dennis Prager
