We have all kinds of friendships in our lives. There are those from our school days, those we have met through work and church, chance meeting friends who share a common interest, and even those who we have met through our internet interactions. My best friend is my husband and I hold my sister-in-law and my Mom and Dad not just as family but as my dearest friends.
In this day and age sometimes the word “friend” is taken more figuratively than literally, especially when the term is being used in things like social media. Do any of us really have 400 or 500 plus people we really consider true friends who would drop everything to come to us in our time of need? If only this were true I know there would be a whole lot less problems in the world (consider the idea of six degrees of separation).
Noah Webster defined ‘friend’ in his 1828 dictionary this way:
One who is attached to another by affection; one who entertains for another sentiments of esteem, respect and affection, which lead him to desire his company, and to seek to promote his happiness and prosperity; opposed to foe or enemy.
A friend loveth at all times. Prov. 17.
In my life I have had friends come and go with the tides of time. Even though I remain in contact with some of my childhood friends, things are not the same. That does not mean that our friendships were not genuine. It just means that as our lives and ideals may have changed so have our relationships. Sometimes we just did not follow the same paths or distance has separated us. Other times we have had falling outs that our human natures could just not get beyond. This in no way discounts the true affection we felt for each other during those times of closeness. They are as valuable as precious gems. I am thankful for friends, past, present, and future.
Jesus highly valued friendship and there are many examples of this in Scripture. (A good read is at this link). With all the people who come in and out of our lives, He is the one constant who is there for us even when we are not always there for Him. He is the ultimate definition of Friend and I am so glad that He is my very best Friend of all time.
I am linking up with Garden of Learning’s Gratitude Challenge and Teaching Good Things 30 Days of Gratitude.
