BFF???

Tonight I got to thinking about friendships a little bit. Friendships are such an amazing blessing that we DEFINITELY shouldn't take for granted. I'd venture to say that you can't beat a "real" friendship.

I'm not talking about those "our only communication is through writing on each other's facebook or myspace walls" or "we have small talk once every few months" or "we used to be friends in high school so we are friends by default and talk on occassion" - no, no - that is not at all what I am talking about. Yea, those can be good too, but the friendships I am talking about are those honest, real, deep, caring, loving, I'd give you the shirt off my back friendships. Those, "they know me, and care about me, and love me without question" friendships.

They can be friendships that have lasted for 10 years or more, or 10 weeks or less - but you know when you've found one - and you should never ever take it for granted. Let those people care about you, and you do the same for them. Share with them. Cry for them and cry with them. Hug them every time you see them. Tell them you love them (and the great thing is - they believe you and know without question that you mean it). Ask them the hard questions. Answer the hard questions. Be honest. Be nice. Be unselfish. Look them in the eyes. Laugh together. Be broken together. Spend time together. Take trips together. Get coffee together.

Rarely do my friend Lindsay and I go a conversation with one another without asking the intentional question of "how is your heart?" And the great thing is - we give each other the real answers. Not "it's good, thanks, how's yours?" We give each other the "it's heavy...." or "it's confused...." or "it's rejoicing..." or "it's healing...." and then explain why. And we listen. Whether there is advice to give, or not, and whether we can "fix" each other's problems or not doesn't really matter....it's that we care to ask, and we listen intently to each other's response. That is friendship. It's caring enough to ask, and listen, and do anything in your power to help that person know that they are loved.

So go ahead, be real. Why trod through life with a mask covering up your heart? The people that really care about you truly do WANT to know the real you....and when you find those friendships, grab ahold of them tightly and hang on. They are sometimes rare, so treat them like the blessing that they are.

Here's a good resolution for 2007: Be an amazing friend, because in Godly friendships you will be blessed beyond belief.