Thank You For Being a Friend...

This past week we learned about friendship in Mom Time. In case you missed, or just need a refresher, here is the acronym we came up with:
F: Be First-reach out to others first
R: Be Readily Available-make time for your friends
I: Be Inclusive-lose the clique!
E: Expect Trouble-be ready for frustration occasionally and assume the best
about your friends.
N: Know Me-be real and transparent
D: Diversify! All of your friends don't need to be the same.
S: Be Second-Be more concerned with your friend's needs than your own.

We should all have a few categories of friends:

• Friends who sharpen: Those friends will always encourage us to be better, and challenge us when we need it.
• Friends who mentor: Titus 2:2-4 is all about older women leading younger women in the art of marriage, childrearing, and Christian living. "Older" may not necessarily be in age, but in wisdom.
• Friends who need friends: Be on the look out for the new person to the group, or perhaps someone with a need that you can meet.
• Friends who need salvation: It is easy after attending the same church, school, and recreational activities for a number of years to get caught in the holy huddle. While there is nothing more fun to me than hanging out with my girlfriends telling awesome God stories, evangelizing to each other does little to further the Kingdom. If we are all pointing our lights inward, there is a great darkness left untouched. Shine your light outward, and look for friends who don't know Jesus. Yet.
• Friends we need to leave: Occasionally we have a friend who brings out all of the worst in us, who doesn't see life the same way, and isn't interested in "getting it." After prayerful consideration, that might be a friend to not hang out with for a while. I would challenge you that the example you set might go further than standing in the pit with them.

I read a blog by a friend about what Proverbs has to say about friendship. You can check that out here. I pray that as you pursue friendships in life, you are blessed with some girlfriends who just "get you." There is a richness and bond in the sisterhood of Christian friendship that just fills me up to overflowing. Knowing that I have friends I can pray with, who will stand with me in prayer, holding my arms up when I get tired, is a comfort and a joy to me. I pray that you will find that too.