Make New Friends

I love having friends! My friends are so special to me, each and every one of them. Some of my friends have been with me so long that they have become more family than friends. Some of my friends are new friends, but we have bonded and become close. Some of my friends are no longer my friends and some of them I haven’t spoken to for quite a while, but I know that if I were in a jam, they would be there in a heartbeat.

One of my newest friends happens to be a writer herself. She and I became friends inadvertently through a class I took that her husband was also part of. He had mentioned her one evening in class and that she had her own website, then gave the web address. I went home and looked it up and immediately fell in love with her writing style and the things she was posting. I knew that she and I would mesh if we had the chance to converse. But many times writers are a fickle lot and often are not willing to give out their writing “secrets,” much less give any advice to another writer. Not that I wanted to know everything about my soon to be new friend. I just needed a little guidance and a push in the right direction. I felt that she could help me with that. My next step was to send her an email and hope she would respond.

Within a short time, I received a return email from her, stating how glad she was to have another writer who was “local” whom she could bounce ideas off of, too! We agreed to meet and that was the beginning of a new friendship. Patty and I hit it off right from the start. She is a joy to talk to. Reading her posts, I am encouraged, challenged, and inspired.

The point of this story is that God places people in our path at various times in our lives. Some are sent for a reason; maybe to lift you up out of the mire, help you heal, and help you get back on track. Some are sent for a season; to help you become closer to the Lord, help you find the Lord, or maybe just to help you through a specific issue. Still, some people are sent to you for a lifetime. These are the treasures of life. The ones who stick by you through thick and thin, who never judge you because of your mistakes, and who will always be there regardless of whether you spoke yesterday or last year.

There was a song we used to sing in Girl Scouts when I was little, the words went; “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.” Friends are definitely a treasure. If you have friends, treasure them. But make new friends, too. Pray for your friends and let them pray for you. If they lift you up, they truly are a treasure. If they drag you down, then it might be time to put some distance between you and they. Whatever your situation, I hope you pray for, and treasure your friends as much as I treasure mine!

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time.” ~Proverbs 17:17