Transparency right?...I'm hard to be friends with. There. I said it.
I have very high expectations of my friends: trust, loyalty and a 2-sided conversation. Nothing bothers me more than a person who calls and dumps on you then doesn't even take the time to ask how you're doing.
I also have a very warped sense of humor. I will laugh at you uncontrollably if you trip, fall or do anything even slightly embarrassing. Does it make it any better that I also will laugh at myself in the exact same way?
I'm not the type of person that has tons of friends. I have a million acquaintances but very few good friends. The topic of friendship has been on my mind a lot recently. Several days ago, I read a facebook post where a person expressed sadness that they didn't have 'real' friends. She described a 'real' friend as someone to send a random text to or someone who would call just because. I wondered how many others feel this same way but don't have the nerve to express it.
That same day, I noticed my childhood best friend was on-line and posted a status of "when it rains it pours." I have no idea what she was referring to. We haven't talked in well over a year. I decided to send her a message to tell her I was thinking about her and told her a few memories that had danced into my brain about the countless nights we spent at each others homes when we were little. Guess what I got in return? Silence. No response at all. Honestly, I'm not exactly sure why we're not speaking.
Let's take a minute to reflect back on transparency. Why can't we all just be real with one another? My few good friends, know me inside and out. I can be transparent with them because I trust them. I know they're not going to use my short-comings against me.
What is it that keeps us from being real with one another? Probably the same thing that's keeping me from picking up the phone and calling my childhood friend. Pride. It can be an ugly thing.
We are called to "love at all times." I still love my friend, but I'm not being a real friend unless I pick up the phone and try to resolve our differences.
What about you? Are you in need of prayers today? Maybe there's a relationship in your life where pride has reared it's ugly face. I'd be honored to pray for peace and resolution for you.
It doesn't have to be 'friend-related,' it can be anything. Leave me a comment or email your request to dfrieling1@gmail.com.
