
"show up when we're happy."
As this quote says, true friends "stay by your side when your heart falls apart," and these are indeed the friends that we must treasure and thank God for - because they know what it means to be a friend through "thick or thin."
As another quote says, some friends are simply "fair weather friends," and if we have even one friend who stays with us in the storms of life, we are blessed.
If we have more than one friend like this, we are really blessed, and if we have a group of friends like this we are super blessed!
All friends are special gifts to us in this life, but "true friends" may be rare, but these are the friendships that last a lifetime and help us to grow and heal. These are also the friendships that seem to grow sweeter and stronger through the years bearing much relational fruit, as we become "friends of the heart." I have discovered in my life that it is those who have the love of Jesus in their hearts that truly know what it means to be a friend and who will "stay closer than a brother."
If you have friends like these, consider telling them how much you value their committment through thick or thin, in the good times and bad . . . write them a thank you note, treat them to coffee or a good meal in a favorite place where you can talk about how much they mean to you and celebrate your friendship with them.
I hope and pray that I will always remember the importance of staying close to those who are hurting, because at some time in life we all hurt. If you don't have people in your life that you consider true friends, you can know and experience that Jesus is the best friend that anyone can ever have. Jesus never disappoints, He understands, He deeply cares about us and He will never "leave or forsake us." I learned a long time ago that He is the truest and dearest friend of all - there is no one like Him!
For Friendship's Sake,
Angie "a mom like you"
amotherlikeme@gmail.com
www.amotherlikeme.info