Seasonal Friendships
Picking up where we left off last time, I would like to explore seasonal friendships.
For everyone, seasons in our lives come and go sometimes without us even noticing what has happened. I remember leaving a job of several years and one day wondering whatever happened to my friendship with one of the girls.
Then it hit me. I left the office, and that was the only thing we had in common. Huh. Imagine that. Who knew that I would feel so close to someone one day, then feel very far apart from her the next?
In most of my seasonal friendships, I am happy to run into those people from time to time. Catching up on grandbabies and life is normally a good time. There are some seasonal Friendships I have been perfectly happy to walk (or run) away from.
In Ecclesiastes 3:1-15, it is explained there is a time for everything. Everything. I am often reminded of this everytime I say to someone, “God has a plan”. I believe this because I am told so in this passage. I know how frustrating it is to not always understand his plan, but I do always know there is one, and sometimes I just have to go along with it, trusting.
In the matter of seasonal friendship, things do not always turn out how we expect them to. All of those seasonal friendships from jr high and high school were preparing us for adulthood. Those experiences came with the understanding you will deal with all sorts of people. Sometimes those friendships were great. they were occasionally losses that devastated us for a period of time.
Since we graduated high school, we may be married, college educated, employed, or became parents. In all of those experiences we have encountered people we have made connections with. Some of them are long-term, some are for short seasons. Embracing the different friendships is the important thing.
What can I learn from this relationship??
What can I do to improve the next one?
I don’t ask for audience participation very often. Today, however, let’s get our journal out and write a few things down:
**List 3 of the most impactful seasonal friendships you have been involved in…
**Name the friend
**How did you meet?
***How/when did the relationship end?
(side note; sometimes they don’t “end”, they just “fizzle”)
Realizing that not all friendships end on a positive note, I will encourage you to choose one of them that maybe you need to make amends with. An apology or forgiveness can go a long way in mending our hearts and minds toward friends in the future.
Sometimes we forget how powerful a Christ-like attitude can be, and this is a key factor in motivating us for better resolution.
Now lets look at three of our lifetime friends….
**Name the friend
***How did you meet?
***What do you think is the key to your friendship?
Look carefully at your list of friends- are the ones closest to you Christians you can confide in?
Are your conversations deep and meaningful, supportive, loving and encouraging?
Does your friendship reflect a gushy Hallmark Card?!
I am not saying dump the ones who aren’t, because they are important people in your life, Christian or not. Maybe you are the influencer in this relationship. Maybe you are what she needs.