Yesterday, my pastor delivered an incredible message on friendship. "Bring a Friend Day" at our church created standing room only in our third service. A message on friendship isn't something that you'd run the aisle after hearing; our pastor made mention of that himself. However, the message was so profound I am empowered to nurture the relationships in my life as never before.
My number one take away from his sermon was the story he told about Sodom and Gomorrah. Because of their sins, God decided he was going to destroy everything in the city. He shared his intentions with his Abraham. Never recorded in any other portion of scripture did God consult with anyone before He created or destroyed anything. He's God. He didn't need to. However, his friendship with Abraham was so intimate that he confided in him. Even God has friends. Abraham began to barter with God about not destroying the city if he found so many righteous people. I never heard the story from that perspective.
I have a great circle of friends. Some have been in my life for over 20 years. I befriended several of them after moving to Texas five years ago, others I've met in the past year or so. They are all special and dear to me individually. However, my closest friends are wives of musicians. I didn't plan it that way it just happened. Friendships are formed not forced. Our lives parallel in many ways, and our husbands are friends with each other as well.
It's great to have friends in your life that understand you and your lifestyle. I have been able to share things with them that I have not been able to share with others. They get it. They understand. They can identify.
You may not have that special someone in your life that you call friend. The Bible says in Proverbs 18:24, "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly; and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." My definition of a friend is someone you can call at 4 am, with no questions asked. I read a quote years ago that said, "You should only be friends with people that are going to cry at your funeral." The more I thought about that statement the more sense it made. Befriend those who genuinely care about you and your family. Ask God to help you make those connections. You need someone to share your trials and triumphs...someone to talk to.
I love the friends I'm doing life with. Friends are so important and we all need them.
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