Day Twelveby Michelle Quick on Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 8:55am
I didn't get to post this yesterday because of my surgery. But this should be relatively easy...
Topic: How do you pick your friends?
Oscar Wilde is quoted as having sai1d, "I pick my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good character and my enemies for the good intellect."
My philosophy--I don't pick my friends. God does. When I do the picking, it tends to have disastrous results. "Bad company corrupts good character" 1 Corinthians 15:33
So God usually removes those individuals from my life in one way or another. Sometimes that can be painful but I trust He knows what He's doing as those He has allowed to remain are truly amazing!
I've never had one, lifelong best friend. My friends or acquaintances tend to change with my environment as far as those I "hang out" with, etc. But I have discovered that once hearts are bonded by God, they stay that way forever.
The friend I've known the longest (other than my mom and cousin who are both wonderful friends as well) is probably Angela. I met her in first grade and though we weren't instant bff's then I do remember playing with her and Patricia (her cousin) throughout our childhood from time to time. We became very close in high school and share some wonderful (and some regrettable! lol) memories. As with a lot of people, when we each got married and our lives took opposite turns, we didn't see a lot of each other. I guess because we are both older and realizing what's important in life, we've been spending more time together--talking, texting, chatting on fb, even going out and like I said before--our hearts are as close as ever. I know she has my back when I need her to, I know I can trust her and I love her dearly.
I can say the same thing about a lot of friends from childhood/high school--Aldona, Heather, Toni...many and I'm so glad to be able to do that! Christy is another childhood friend that I truly cherish. Whenever you can go for 20+ years and not see/talk to someone and the day you do it's like you haven't missed a single day--you KNOW you have a truly special relationship. I would do anything for her and I know she would do anything for me. We are FIERCELY protective of each other!
God brought Amy to me in college and we have shared SO much! We dont see or talk as much as we used to or would like but we are still good and loyal friends and words cannot describe my love for her (even though she is an Auburn fan! lol)
I met Shari when our sons were playing baseball together. I can't even remember who talked to who first or how we got to be so close--that was a total God thing. But whenever someone trust you enough and thinks enough of you to ask you to be a caregiver for her child, you know that person must think a lot of you. When someone who has been hurt by similar actions that you do to others and still loves you--you know that's a friend! A single soul dwelling in two bodies!
Tere and Donna N. are two more friends that have been brought into my life via our children. We have shared some great times and I hope I've been half as good a friend to them as they have both been to me. And I'm also grateful that they've raised their children to be good friends to my children! I love them and their precious children dearly.
Donna A--there really are no words! When I first me her she was my boss but it never really felt like a boss/employee relationship to me. Another kindred spirit who had/has a love for the Lord, a calling for children and the gift of being just a great person all the way around. No one that meets her and TRULY gets to know her ever thinks that she isn't just precious! Within the last year, she became my prayer partner and has prayed me through some VERY tumultuous times. She listens and watches me chase after things of the world that she and I both know I shouldn't be chasing after and yet never once have I ever felt judged. I've only felt compassion, true Christian-sister love and her wanting the very best for me. She is my mentor in so many ways--a wife and mother, a preschool teacher/director, a mature Christian woman (and by "mature" I dont mean 'old', I mean someone who has immersed herself into the meat of God's Word), and a fitness nazi! lol
Jeff--well, I've known him since I was 13--more than half my life and we've been married for almost 21 years. We haven't always been as close as two friends should be, let alone husband and wife. And the times my fleshly side becomes tempted to give up and throw it all away, God himself has intervened in one way or another to keep it from happening. When God binds hearts, He really means it!
There are so many other people that I could and would mention if I had the time, space (and my knee wasn't about to kill me right now!) I have truly been blessed in the friendship area. And that's the best area of all to be blessed in!
"Remember, no man is a failure who has friends."--Clarence, It's a Wonderful Life
No comments:
Post a Comment