Very few people have a lot of friends. We all have a number of acquaintances but very few real friends. Many like to say and have others think they have tons of friends. They really don’t. It’s an interesting phenomenon throughout life because interestingly enough, friends come and go. It’s not a bad thing as they will always hold a place of memory in your life, but for whatever reason, they turn into a season of your life. God could have had them there for encouragement, to get you through something, or to add value to your life for a period of time. You can literally watch a friendship drift into hiding, but all is not lost. People need different people around them to grow to reach God’s potential for different times in their lives. You played a part in that. They played a part in your growth. There are very few forever friends.
Some friendships last a lifetime. There is an actual chemistry that developed from the beginning that causes both parties to reach out constantly and consistently to each other thereby nurturing the friendship daily, weekly, or even monthly. It is a relationship that lasts forever, even getting stronger. These are cool to watch. Friendships can even re-develop after time has gone by. For example the social networks have helped this happen. Here’s the bottom line: As people get older, they realize the value of connection instead of isolation. People let go of the past instead of trying to settle a score of bitterness or being upset with someone. This is an intentional and volitional choice that is made. There is a period of time in our lives that we pull away from familiarity because we feel we must stand on our own and prove ourselves, whatever that means. As we age, we make the turn back toward realizing that our “success” is not nearly as important as we thought and those relationships that were priceless early on, are really important to us re-connecting with a period of time that meant a great deal to us.
I think it has to do with us rushing toward eternity more and more each day. Without people on this earth, there would be no money, no fun, no happiness, no joy, and no “forever.” Had Jesus not put Adam and Eve here, the only thing the earth had going for it was beauty. Beauty without relationship is a postcard. Since God let Jesus come here, HE set the tone for what this life was all about. Walk slowly through the crowd, experience and enjoy others, and realize once again, the only thing that can bring you joy- relationships!
