I have my faith. I am happy with who I am. I love my husband and my children. I am happy to have a few great people I call friends. IN FACT some of those friends are even closer than family! I have a small group of family who have shown me what family should be, I live for today doing the best that I can and will not dwell on negative any longer. I do not have time for people who are a negative force in my life. I don't talk about people and wont say things behind someone's back that I would not be willing to say to their face. I don't talk behind somebody's back because I know how it feels to find out that is going on behind my own. Life is too short to fight or argue with ANYONE over ANYTHING. Will any of it matter in 5 years?
I still have a broken heart over losing certain people in my life and praying for a TRUE reconciliation. Holding a grudge will allow a person to live in your head rent free!! So if you have something eating at you about me, PLEASE tell me how you are hurting and lets work it out!
I have been experiencing moments with God that are glimpse's into my future and I feel happy about what lies ahead of me and my sweet husband! Yes we have small burdens and hurdles but we learned that nothing is too overwhelming and nothing is too hard to get out of. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel and sometimes it is hard to see that light only because you are only at the beginning of the tunnel. Have patience you'll get there!
So it has been a few days since I started this entry and I received an email that I wanted to share in it because I feel it is relivent in my life and in others perhaps that may or may not read my posts so here it is:
The Treasure of Friendship
Mary Southerland
Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NIV) "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."
Friend to Friend
Friendship is the springboard to every other love and the foundation for every healthy relationship. It is a proven fact that lonely people live shorter lives than those who have healthy friendships. Even Jesus needed friends when He walked this earth as a man. In fact, He placed great value on relationships. The Bible tells us Jesus spent much of His time deepening the relationships with a few – not the crowd.
I love the story of an ingenious teenager who was tired of reading bedtime stories to his little sister. He decided to record several of her favorite stories on tape. When he presented the tape player and tape to his sister, he explained, "Now you can hear your stories any time you want. Isn't that great?" The little girl took one look at the machine, frowned and then replied, "No! It is not great! That thing does not have a lap!"
God created us to need each other. That truth is never more evident than when we are in pain or struggling with some crisis in life. One of the main factors leading to a two-year battle with clinical depression in my life was the absence of replenishing friendships. As I think back to that time, I am sure many women would have counted themselves as my friend when, in reality, they were simply acquaintances because that was all I would allow them to be. My pride kept me from admitting I wasn't Superwoman and that I did need the help of others. My insecurity held me back from reaching out to new friends and cultivating old ones.
To admit my need of a friend seemed like a weakness instead of the precious gift God created it to be. I refused to take the risk of being hurt, rejected or misunderstood. I did not have time to invest in building intimate friendships and was too busy doing the work of God to be a friend. As a result, when the darkness hit, I felt isolated and alone. Friendship took on an entirely different meaning in my life from that point on. In fact, friends are a great source of strength and encouragement in my life today. Friends fast and pray for me, holding me accountable and confronting me when they see my priorities lining up in the wrong way. Friends make me stop and take time for fun. Friends have taught me to be transparent.
Have I been hurt along the way? Yes.
Have I been misunderstood? Yes.
Have the friendships been worth the price? Absolutely!
Roses are beautiful flowers. People who know me are aware of the fact that I can kill any plant known to mankind. I once had a neighbor who grew roses in every shade of pink, yellow and red. I often watched Joan work in her garden and eventually realized she never handled the roses without wearing long sleeves and thick gloves. The roses were beautiful, but their thorns were not and could certainly inflict a lot of pain. In fact, my neighbor always seemed to have cuts and scrapes on her hands and arms even with the long sleeves and gloves she wore. I once asked Joan why she continued to grow roses and jokingly suggested she might want to consider raising a less dangerous kind of flower. I will never forget her answer and the profound truth it held, "The beauty of the rose is worth the occasional wound it gives. I have learned to handle the roses with respect and in such a way that my wounds are few." The same truth can be said of friendships.
The words of Jesus found in John 13:34-35, portray the perfect backdrop for God's love. "And so I am giving a new commandment to you now--love each other just as much as I love you. Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples." Does the world know we are His disciples by the way we love and relate to each other?
Chad was a shy, quiet little boy. One day he came home and told his mother he'd like to make a valentine for everyone in his class. Her heart sank. "I wish he wouldn't do that!" she thought. She had watched the children when they walked home from school. Her Chad was always behind them. They laughed and hung on to each other and talked to each other, but Chad was never included. Still, she decided to go along with her son's plan. She purchased the paper, glue and crayons, and for three whole weeks, night after night, Chad painstakingly made thirty-five valentines. Valentine's Day dawned, and Chad was frantic with excitement! He carefully placed the valentines in a bag, and bolted out the door.
His mom decided to bake his favorite cookies because she knew he would be disappointed when he came home from school. It hurt her to think he wouldn't get many valentines -- maybe none at all. That afternoon she had the cookies and milk on the table. Finally, when she heard their voices, she looked out the window to see the children laughing and having the best time. As usual, there was Chad in the rear but walking a little faster than usual.
She fully expected him to burst into tears as soon as he got inside. His arms were empty and when the door opened, she choked back tears as she said, "Honey, I have some warm cookies and milk for you" but he hardly heard her words. He just marched right on by, his face glowing, and all he could say was: "Not a one -- not a one." The mother's heart sank. Then he added, "I didn't forget a one, not a single one!" When God is in control of our friendships and when we trust Him with those friendships, we will be a better friend, and we will have more true friends.
1 Peter 4:8 (NLT) "Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins."
"A friend is one who strengthens you with prayers, blesses you with love and encourages you with hope." Anonymous
A beautiful illustration of friendship and our need for it, at the cost of pain...which I can understand why peoply shy away! You are my Rose, Veronica;) WELL worth it (though I cannot say for sure that I have experienced any "pain") ;)
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