What Makes A Good Friend

                                          

 What makes people friends? Shared experiences, joy, sorrow, mutual interests, time spent together, love, a deep understanding of the other persons interests and emotions? 

Sometimes Dean tells me I think to much. :) He usually says that when I am trying to figure out a complicated issue that has no right or wrong answer. I love to debate which is fine until I begin thinking to hard. Anyway, I have been thinking about friends and what makes people become friends. When does an acquaintance cross the line and become a friend? 

                

             I have several friends who help when they can and listen when they can't. These friends are the kind who stood by when we were struggling with RAD and said, "I don't understand but I will support you." 

                                                  
                                                   

               I have a friend who I can count on to tell me the truth even if it isn't what I want to hear. She has guided me through many bumps over the years. We live miles apart but she has walked a road similar to ours and isn't afraid to tell me when I need to let things go and move on. She is just as quick to tell me to cut myself some slack, best of all we can laugh over crazy things that only those who lived with RAD, would find humorous.

                     

   Then there are those "old friends" people you have known for years. People who know the good, bad and the ugly about you. These are comfortable friends, people you can invite over even when your house is a mess and you have nothing but stale chips to serve for a snack. 


                              

               
       New friends, the people you will meet or have recently met. You never know where your friendship will go or who you will meet because of your new friend. I met many new friends through this blog, people I wouldn't have been blessed to know otherwise. 


                                                 


       We spent the weekend with a group of friends who are willing to lift us up when we think it is impossible to do so. We stayed up late and enjoyed good food and talked about well, everything mom's talk about. We encouraged each other to go on and found strength in sharing our burdens, knowing those needs would be brought before our Father.

                                         
                                            

       And then there are those people who have become my friends because of our shared experiences. Isn't it amazing how people can have a bond based on an experience? Those people who know what you will need before you know it yourself because they have been there, they know the joy and pain. You can do likewise drop a card, gift or meal off at someone's house when you know they will need someone to acknowledge their sadness, pain or fatigue. Send them flowers when they need to be cheered up after a dreary day where things just didn't go right.

                    

There is also the Friend who never let's us down, who claims us as His own even though we don't deserve it. This Friend carries our burdens and intercede's daily on our behalf. This Friend loves us, He even gave His life for us. Let us strive to be like Jesus and be genuine in our friendships


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