Friendship is an intricate thing.

It has been from the time we were little. Think about it.

For instance, I ran around with the same group from the time I was in elementary school until my senior year in high school, and for the majority of those years, we were either verbally or non-verbally arguing over who was whose best friend.

From what I remember about my childhood experience, it was an understood thing that you had only one best friend. You couldn't have multiples because, well, it defeated the purpose of the term "best" in front of friend if you had more than one.

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Yesterday I realized I don't have a best friend. Those of you who know me well can probably imagine how this revelation consumed me (because I tend to be a pretty emotional person aaaaand I just over-think things in general on a regular basis. :) ).

I guess, more specifically, I realized that there is not one person in this world who I solely refer to as my best friend who, in turn, refers solely to me as their best friend.

For some reason it really saddened me. I love people. I always have, and I guess the thought of having a best friend that was all mine was appealing. It doesn't help that the stereotypical image of "best friends" is extremely evident in media, both past and present (Bert and Ernie, Laverne and Shirley, Dora and Boots, Will and Grace, etc.).

I think somewhere along the way I got mixed up--I thought that if I didn't have one best friend I was doing something wrong. Maybe I wasn't good enough. Maybe I didn't do all I could. Turns out the only thing that was wrong was the mentality with which I addressed this subject. The friendships I have are not so much about the "me" as they are about the "us."

For one thing, I have a number of people I consider my best friends (There are at least seven that I can think of without having to work too hard.). This is a blessing in and of itself. No matter how long it's been since I've talked with one of these people, I know that as soon as we get together, things will essentially return to the place we left off as if we'd never been apart. Not everyone has these kinds of relationships and I have (at least) seven of them. I need to focus more energy toward my grattitude for having them in my life.

Another thing I realized is that for being so concerned with having a best friend, I sure don't do the best at being one! I don't give near as much time, loyalty, and dedication to my standing relationships as I should in order to maintain a best friendship.

And then I think about the relationships that Jesus had with those around him (You had to know it was going there, right?). From what we see in the Gospels, Jesus not only maintained strong relationships with his disciples but we see throughout the New Testament narrative that Jesus was highly concerned with relationships that stretched far beyond his inner circle because the love that he taught about and lived out called for those kinds of relationships.

Wow. "That's where I'm getting it wrong," I'm thinking to myself as I write this blog out of my head. Not only do I need to do better about maintaining and strengthening the relationships I already have; I need to do better about expanding my desire for close relationships with those who don't fall into my handful of close friends...

With those who aren't even accustomed to having real relationships for whatever reason.

It's a pretty tall order because many of us are not used to doing things that make us uncomfortable but my response to that is pretty simple (and complex. all in one): Are we not called, invited to the uncomfortable in the hopes that all people might know of and experience God's love?

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After Bo approves, I will be posting the mini-sermons we preached on Sunday. Bo talks about the importance of diligently working toward right-relationship with God and others and how those two things go hand-in-hand, and I talk about some of the nitty-gritty of being in relationships with those who suffer who are outside the inner-circle of our comfort zones.

Thanks for stopping by! In this week of thanks, be sure to let those friends who mean so much to you know how you feel while also working with me to think about ways we can reach out and form relationships with those who need to know the love of God and others in their lives.



Happy week of extra thanks, friends. I hope you are surrounded by those you love :)