The Joy of Friendships
The time of me finishing up this blog we would have been a little over a week from our Friendsgiving! Often time we go through life and we forget the value and JOY that friendships can bring. At the Friendsgiving there were women of all ages, cultures, careers it was such a beautiful sight! At various tables there were young adults, stay at home mothers, medical professionals, counselors, military personnel, retired professionals and other various careers. Sometimes we think friendships are just for kids but for life to be rich and full it’s vital that we cultivate healthy friendships in all seasons of our lives.
How do we do that? First we have to recognize that having a friendship takes time and it’s an investment. Often time we want the benefit of friends, but we don’t want the process that it takes to maintain friendships. As adults it can be more challenging to make and maintain friendships due to work schedules but if we are intentional, we can be successful at it!
Here's five tips to making friends in our adulthood:
1) Be willing to recognize that often our closest friends may have a opposite personality than we do, which is a blessing because where we are weak, they are strong in, and vice versa. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to find someone that’s just like you because if you do you may end up missing out on life’s greatest blessing!
2) Be willing to compromise and be flexible. As an adult the demands of life can be many and trying to find time to connect must be done intentionally. For example, if your friend’s schedule no longer allows her to meet up once a month for lunch but she’s free in the morning, then move the lunch date to a coffee date. If their schedule doesn’t allow you to talk on the phone for hours on end then find a time where maybe you both are folding laundry or picking kids up from school to connect. A meaningful conversation can take place within a few minutes until the schedule allows you to do the hours on end conversation again.
3) Be sensitive and aware of your friend and her current season of life. If she has babies in the house then the best way you could probably show her that you care is to offer to baby-sit while she grabs a pedicure or nap. If she has adult children and is an empty-nester one of the best thing you could do is to ask about her children. This will let her know that you still care about her children. If she has more flexibility in her schedule now, then possibly plan a road trip!
4) Be a good listener! Many times our friends just want someone that they can vent to without worrying about being judged. Society is often noisy and moves at a fast pace, that often time people don’t have anyone that will truly listen to them without being in a hurry. Listening is a valuable and often underutilized gift within a friendship.
5) Be each other Cheerleader, praying for each other, encouraging one another to make goals, cast visions and to continue to dream no matter what season of life we may be in. Encouragement can go a long way within a friendship, and just like any type of relationship there may be times of disagreement. When those times happen see it as a time of growth and learn from each other. Be real, transparent, honest and then forgive, if need be set boundaries but don’t close yourself off to friendships.
**Meaningful friendships can help us navigate through some of life’s harshest times as well as help us celebrate life’s greatest accomplishments. If you don’t have friends, pray, and ask God to help you to be the friend that you desire and for him to help you connect to ladies that you can begin a rich friendship with.
Most importantly remember that God is the greatest friend you can have and he desires a relationship with you and also don't forget to be a friend to yourself! 💗
