On Friendship

Kate is my oldest and closest friend. 

We’ve been friends since kindergarten - we were both in my future mother-in-law’s K5 class. And later, Kate set me up on my first date with Steven.

In high school, Kate and I both had after-school jobs and, on the way to them, frequently stopped first at the local town square drugstore where we each bought a Coke and shared a pack of Reese‘s peanut butter cups before heading off to work. 

Every Friday night in the fall, Kate and I sat in the bleachers watching Steven play football and talking about boyfriends.

After high school, Kate and I went to different colleges, but that didn’t diminish our friendship. Steven was in school with Kate, so she and I often saw each other on the weekends. 

We were in each other’s weddings, raised our children at the same time, and sent them off to college.

When we lived in Alaska and were 4000 miles apart, even that couldn’t sever our tie. When I went home to SC, I always scheduled time to see Kate.

Now that we’re in Texas, it’s the same. She comes to my mother-in-law‘s house or we visit the swing in Kate’s yard. We discuss everything: daily life, the children, our spiritual struggles, growing older (and maybe a bit wiser) and on and on. 

When we get together it’s like we’ve never been apart. 

We joke that one day, our husbands and children will find the two of us rocking side by side on the front porch of Martha Franks Retirement Center. We will be talking about our high school glory days, laughing and remembering.

Kate is a heart friend - one of a few friends that I am privileged to know on a deeper level. 

A friend loves at all times,
    

and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

Prov. 17:17 NIV

Heart friends are always there - showing up when it matters most and then staying through the hard parts. They know our faults and don't focus on them. They challenge us when we’re taking a wrong turn and offer a strong and steady hand to hold when life knocks us down. 

When we accidentally forget something or inadvertently hurt them, the forgiveness is already there without being asked for. Grudges and jealousy simply aren’t allowed; trust and grace and unconditional love rule the day with these friends. 

The Bible gives us insight into many friendships:

And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”and he was called God’s friend. 1

The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. 2

And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 3

 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 4

Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 5

Today Jesus calls us His friends and loves us with agape love - the highest form of love, gracious and unmerited. He asks us to strive to love as He loves.

If you’re blessed to have a small group of heart friends, treasure them. Commit to being a heart friend for someone else. What a wondrous gift to have friends!

In the closing words of It’s a Wonderful Life, “Remember no man is a failure who has friends.”

Love never fails.

Today is a GOOD day!

Natalie

1.James 2:23NIV; 2.Exodus 33:11NIV; 3.1 Samuel 18:3NIV; 4.John 11:5NIV; John 13:1NIV