Life's friendships...

Ecclesiastes 4:9–12

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. (NLT)

The power of friendship. It's crazy how a friend can make or break you sometimes. Some of the hardest times of my life have been due to something within a friendship. On the other hand most of my favorite memories revolve around friends, in fact sometimes the favorite memories and hardest times overlap one another. I'm often in awe about friendships. This is quite possibly the result of my own personality and personal value of all relationships, but regardless I stand, mouth metaphorically agape.

So often I've feared rejection the most when it comes to friends discovering more and more about me and finally learning that...*gasp* I have issues! BUT...it seems that the very things I fear the most are often met with more understanding and love than I can possibly comprehend.
I realize that this is greatly due to the fact that those I've chosen to surround myself with are God's children. I whole-heartily believe that the friends I'm closest to in life want the best for me and that they were brought into my life by divine providence. God's the one that created me with my unique design that is so very people oriented, and I know He's provided the right people to fit that design throughout my life.

I have, however, been the person that's chosen poorly. Sometimes I'm allowed myself to be influenced by the people from the later part of Proverbs 12:26. Those are always choices that I look back on and wonder what I was thinking.

I like what the above verse says about two being able to stand back to back and conquer. That's such a beautiful mental picture to me. I want people to "have my back" but how much better to have a friend willing to give me their's? Having someone's complete trust and faith in me, being in an equally giving relationship, is something I will probably never understand, but it's a wonderful experience nonetheless. Again, I'm also blessed enough to have those that are always there to extend their hand to me when I falter. God has been so good in His provision!

I've spent so many long nights up talking to friends. I've had weekends of laughter and fun with friends. We've shared tears and heartbreak, as well as smiles and hugs. We've shared clothes, food, cars, apartments and families. We've ran up each others phone bills, loaned each other cash and eaten each other's hidden stash of dorm snacks. My life has been touched and blessed by those I call friend. God has truly given me an invaluable gift through these people and I will never be able to repay Him or for that matter those very people. Their impact on me has been great, their faith in me has been extraordinary and our futures together are exciting. I realize life changes, people grow apart, but the beauty is you can't take away the memories we've shared and the affect they've had on me. They'll always be a part of me and for that I am grateful!

I love you guys...you know who you are!