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"A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you."~ Elbert Hubbard, author
⚘ Ever hated the way something tastes or feels? Like raw oysters, or whatever those little chunky things are in tapioca pudding or bobo tea? My best friend can't stand the feeling of cotton, so as good friends & college roommates, one day we put cotton on literally everything she would have to touch as she got ready for the day - her mascara, toothbrush, hairbrush, inside her box of cereal, on her milk carton and so on. Then we laughed til we cried as she discovered them all throughout the day.
Who doesn't need friends like that?
⚘ In International Women's History month, we can't talk about women without talking about friendship. According to the Mayo clinic, the benefits of friendship include:
-increasing your sense of belonging and purpose
-boosting your happiness & reducing your stress
-improving your self confidence & self worth
-helping you cope with trauma like divorce, death, other loss
⚘ We have great examples of friendship in the Bible. Amidst some dire circumstances, these women showed support and friendship to each other to help them navigate their cultural waters and spiritual paths.
Visitation, Raphael 1517
⚘ Mary, the mother of Jesus and Elizabeth- a few days after Mary was told by the angel Gabriel in Luke 1:26-56 that the Lord was with her and she had found favor with God and that she would conceive and give birth to Jesus, the "Son of the Most High", she went to her cousin Elizabeth, who was six months pregnant with John the Baptist.
Mary must have been so overwhelmed by this incredibly unique news, and bursting at the seams to tell someone she trusted what the Lord had told her through this angel. No one had ever had this kind of news, nor will they ever again!
⚘ Who could she trust? Who would understand without judging her or being envious of her? Her cousin Elizabeth, who had also been entrusted with being the mother of another vital person in the salvation story. Elizabeth's husband had been visited by the same angel (Luke 1:5-25). She knew Elizabeth would not judge her, but would support & encourage her. Elizabeth not only did all these things but she rejoiced with her (Luke 1: 42-44). What a trusted friend!
⚘ Elizabeth had been rewarded by God for her faithfulness in her prayers for a child, and she recognized how "kind" God was to her (Luke 1:25 NLT). Mary, in what is called "the Magnificat: Mary's Song of Praise" (Luke 1:46-55) responds to God in praise, rejoicing in how holy He is, the great things He has done for her by showing mercy and helping her.
Naomi and Ruth, Thomas Matthew Rooke 1876-77
Ruth and Naomi- we already talked about Ruth in a past blog; her friendship with her mother-in-law Naomi showed what integrity she had, as did Naomi's appreciation of Ruth. The faith Naomi had was such that Ruth wanted to join her life. Naomi must have truly been a mentor to Ruth to command such a deep respect of her and obedience to her instructions.
All of their lives pointed to Jesus, the Redeemer of all mankind for all time.
⚘While our assignments in life aren't as uniquely ordained as when Christ was born and lived, they are significant parts of God's salvation story. We live and work among people who desperately need to know what their purpose is in this life, to know Christ as their Savior, and how to get eternal life in heaven with Him.
⚘ Our friendships matter. Having good friends and being a good friend can be the support, guidance, encouragement, love and significance we all need at different times in this broken world.
And don't forget humor.
✙ Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of friendship You give us. You desire to walk with us, talk with us, and carry us when we have challenges. Show us today who needs our friendship; open our eyes. Give us wisdom on how to best support them & direct them to You. Amen.
“There are in every life, both sunshine people and rainy day people. There are giving people and there are those who take. But how so few in number are those who understand? To have someone understand why we cry or laugh, why we feel downcast, for no apparent reason, is to have a friend. A friend excepts our changes of mood without telling us to snap out of it,they know if we could so easily handle tears we would’ve already done so. All our loneliness and worry and fears seems to fade in the presence of a friend who never judges, but stands along side with loyalty. Take my hand and walk with me until you can go alone. It gives us what we need to be a friend as well. “ Gretchen
ReplyDeleteThat is BEAUTIFUL Gretchen-who wrote it?
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