Friendship...

I have tried to write this post several times over the last two months.

In fact, I think the first time I attempted it was right before my trip to Kansas at the end of July.

I don't know that I can mold the words together any clearer now, but I simply have to attempt it.

My life has been so richly blessed by friendship. Not just fun friends to go shopping with, or out to eat, but the kind of friend who knows you better than yourself, kind of friends.

Friends that have pointed me to my Maker, who have helped me discover who I was created to be, and loved me when I felt unlovable.

What I have discovered is that these kinds of friendships are not common. In fact, some people may live entire decades of their lives without knowing this kind of friendship.

The kind of friendship that sacrifices without hesitation so that your needs are met.

The kind of friendship that prays you through a valley and never even hints at the battle they waged for you.

The kind of friendship that forgives when you are too stubborn to admit your wrongs.

Well, it's taken me a few of my own decades to really understand something...

A gift must be opened, accepted before the ownership can transfer from the giver to the recipient.

In order for the gift of friendship to fully, truly take root in your life you must be willing to admit you can't do it alone. You need others. You need their love, their help, their laughter, their generosity, and their selflessness.

And you know what? This idea that we can't do it alone, well, it's very different than what our culture preaches.

In fact, if you are going to admit you need help you better have the big bucks to shell out for the help you are going to hire, because that is about the only kind of help our culture says is okay to have in your life.

Before you know it, you are sucked into this mentality without ever realizing it.

"I don't want to burden them..."
"It's my problem, not theirs..."
"It would be out of the way.."
"It's not important to me..."

When you really need out of your house, or to go to the grocery store alone (or with someone), or to eat a meal with adults, and you convince yourself it isn't that big of a deal and you will survive.

Well, what if there was more to life, and friendship, than survival?

I believe there is more to life than survival. And I believe that, sometimes, all you have to do is accept the fact that you can not make it through life alone.

For me, it was a realization that surrounding me near and far were people seeking to help me, to love me, to bless me, and all I had to do was accept their offers. Admit I could not do it on my own, and watch in amazement the way the Lord had provided an abundance of blessings all around me.

And it was so overwhelming to me, and is still overwhelming to me, because I realized that each of those precious friends were glimpses into the heart of my Creator. He can give, and give, and give salvation to us, but we must choose to accept it.

He can lavish forgiveness, grace and mercy upon us, but we must admit we need them.

He can provide solution after solution to our worries, but we must be willing to say we don't have all the answers before we can accept His provision.

What if what your soul was longing for the most was already waiting for you, all you had to do was accept it? Would you?