It was interesting. It got me to thinking about friends I've had over the years and I started wondering who were my friends and who were just being friendly. Ralph Waldo Emerson said "The way to have a friend is to be a friend." Well, I'm going to disagree. You can be the best friend in the world, but if the other person doesn't return your committment to the relationship or doesn't show the same compassion, then it is all one-sided; it is not a true friendship.
As you look back over your life at the friends that have come and gone, do you see any one-sided relationships? Were there times when you were the best friend you knew how to be only to realize that your "friend" was simply paying lip service to the true meaning of being a friend? Do you ever want to knock on their forehead and say "Helllloooo, are you in this relationship?"
I am a people person. I care about others and what they go through. Sometimes we can be hurt because the ones we care for don't seem to see the relationship the same way we do. I've given this some thought lately and decided I needed to redefine friends. I've heard people acknowledge others with terms such as my friend, an acquaintance, someone I work with, someone I've known for years, etc.
I have people in my life that I care deeply for and though I call them a friend, we don't share confidences. We don't do things together. We don't have a lot of common bonds, but I really enjoy their company. They are that middle of the road group that are not as close as a friend is, but they are closer than an acquaintance. I figure there needs to be a term to describe those people in our lives. I'm going to start calling them my Friendlies. I love my friendlies but we just don't share a deep relationship like you do with your true friends or that relationship is often one-sided.
We are doing a Ladies Bible Study at church on the study of King David. In this past weeks lesson, there was a verse that just jumped right out at me. I Samuel 18:1 says ....that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
What a wonderful way to explain true friendship. "Knit with the soul". I just loved that phrase and it went along with my thoughts on friendship this past week. The online dictionary defines the word knit as an intertwining; to join closely; unite securely. A simple beautiful way to define true friendship.
May all your friendships be knit from the soul. Have a blessed week.
.
