Having Friends

For quite some time I've been thinking about friendship. God has blessed me with many friends, and I'm thankful for each one. As I was growing up, I didn't really like being a preacher's kid. In fact, I hated it. It wasn't that I didn't like being in church every week. It wasn't necessarily that they were so strict. There were two primary reasons I detested the life of a PK. First, I didn't like feeling as though we lived in a glass house with a double standard. I saw church members who lived a lifestyle that I couldn't take part in. That is another blog for another day. The second reason I didn't like being a PK was the tendency of our family's relocation. I felt as though whenever I had a friend, I would have to move ~ again. Please keep in mind that those were the thoughts of a younger person, who was looking at things quite selfishly. Those feelings brought on very real emotions, and should have been dealt with appropriately. But, looking back on those years, I can now see other benefits that I could in no way predict then. For example, I have friends literally all over the world. I'm basically a shy person. I have to throw myself into 'character' to come out of my shell around people I do not know. My general personality is one that feels inferior to others. Again, if I'm perceived as a very confident individual, either I'm on a good masking roll or the person doing the perceiving is inexperienced at perceiving. There are different kinds of friends. Not that I want to use the word, 'level' of friend, that's essentially what it is. We are closer to some friends than others. Sometimes friends drift apart because of distance, habits, hobbies, or even other people. There are some friends who connect on a monthly, weekly, or even a daily basis. I'm reminded of a proverb from Scripture about friends. Proverbs 18:24, "A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Are you friendly? Do others perceive you as being friendly? I'm thankful that when I need a friend and no one is around, God is. Aren't you?