"A sentence from Psalm 101 has been both challenging and convicting for me: 'I will walk in my house with blameless heart' (Psalm 101-2, NIV). When God speaks to me about being more loving, this verse reminds me to make application in my family first—and then to others. It forces me to ask, 'Am I more spiritual, more loving, or more fun somewhere else? Who gets my best—my family or others?'"
-- Jean Fleming, A Mother’s Heart
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Friendship
In a contemplative mood tonight. Thinking about friends.
Good friends, old friends, past friends, new friends, bad friends, sad friends, moody friends, friends that bring me down, friends that lift me up, friends that keep their word, friends full of words but no action, friends I wish I was closer with and/or to, friends I wish I could separate myself from.
I learned a lot being gone for a year. It's been very enlightening. A lot can be learned from a friendship that is stretched to new boundaries for a year. Another thing I learned is that friendships that thrive on the phone aren't always the friendships that translate well to "real life." Friendships don't always survive the move away, or the move back. Friendships don't always survive illnesses either. I have found that not only do some people not understand Fibromyalgia, but now that I am learning to deal with it, I need to cut a lot out of my life. Just leave the essentials. And that includes friends.
I know very well that most people have very little extra time. People must take care of their families before their friends as well as schooling, church responsibilities, extended family, etc. However, in those few minutes left at the end of the day, who (or what) are you willing to give that time to? That is what matters most to you.
I know that I do not have enough time to do justice to my wonderful friends. I wish I could see them more, email them more, call them more and spend more time with and on them. I can't. But I pray that the time that I do have, I use wisely: cultivating the friendships that mean the most to me and the ones that God smiles down on, keeping watered the friendships that aren't to be let go and pruning the friendships that cause me anxiety and that God has released me from.
And I pray that I can bless my friends as much as they bless me.
Good friends, old friends, past friends, new friends, bad friends, sad friends, moody friends, friends that bring me down, friends that lift me up, friends that keep their word, friends full of words but no action, friends I wish I was closer with and/or to, friends I wish I could separate myself from.
I learned a lot being gone for a year. It's been very enlightening. A lot can be learned from a friendship that is stretched to new boundaries for a year. Another thing I learned is that friendships that thrive on the phone aren't always the friendships that translate well to "real life." Friendships don't always survive the move away, or the move back. Friendships don't always survive illnesses either. I have found that not only do some people not understand Fibromyalgia, but now that I am learning to deal with it, I need to cut a lot out of my life. Just leave the essentials. And that includes friends.
I know very well that most people have very little extra time. People must take care of their families before their friends as well as schooling, church responsibilities, extended family, etc. However, in those few minutes left at the end of the day, who (or what) are you willing to give that time to? That is what matters most to you.
I know that I do not have enough time to do justice to my wonderful friends. I wish I could see them more, email them more, call them more and spend more time with and on them. I can't. But I pray that the time that I do have, I use wisely: cultivating the friendships that mean the most to me and the ones that God smiles down on, keeping watered the friendships that aren't to be let go and pruning the friendships that cause me anxiety and that God has released me from.
And I pray that I can bless my friends as much as they bless me.
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