Friends come and go in your life. Sometimes there is a clear cut reason why a friendship ends, but others it seems you just grew apart. You meet friends everywhere you go; the grocery store, gas station, work, church, even in line at the DMV (where let's face it everyone seems to be in a bad mood there). Friends come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you meet your
new friend you never know how long your friend will be in your life. It could be someone you just met in the line a Joann Fabric who smiles at you and picks up a dollar you dropped. She was their for a reason and maybe you will never see her again. Sometimes friends are there for a season, maybe you meet someone to help you get through a difficult time in your life or share a joyous time with you and then for whatever reason you part ways. And then you have friends for a lifetime, the ones who you can call no matter how long it's been and you pick up right where you left off. The trick is you never know if a friend is one for a reason, a season or a lifetime. This is not my original idea but I have taken this poem to heart:
I posted a previous blog about making no one a stranger. I have taken to that as my motto, you can read that blog by clicking here. Since I have had so many issues with putting myself out there I have been pushing myself to talk to more and more people. I learned a valuable lesson from my late friend Mitch Johnson. Shortly after I met him he starting calling me "best friend Katie", one night I finally asked him why he called me that. He told me "I like everyone, I'm nice to every new person I meet because they could end up being my new best friend." What great words to live by.
new friend you never know how long your friend will be in your life. It could be someone you just met in the line a Joann Fabric who smiles at you and picks up a dollar you dropped. She was their for a reason and maybe you will never see her again. Sometimes friends are there for a season, maybe you meet someone to help you get through a difficult time in your life or share a joyous time with you and then for whatever reason you part ways. And then you have friends for a lifetime, the ones who you can call no matter how long it's been and you pick up right where you left off. The trick is you never know if a friend is one for a reason, a season or a lifetime. This is not my original idea but I have taken this poem to heart:
"People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you figure out which one it is,
you will know what to do for each person...
When you figure out which one it is,
you will know what to do for each person...
"When someone is in your life for a REASON,
it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty;
to provide you with guidance and support;
to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend, and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.
"Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.
"Some people come into your life for a SEASON,
because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.
"LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,
and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant."
— Unknown
it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty;
to provide you with guidance and support;
to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend, and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.
"Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.
"Some people come into your life for a SEASON,
because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.
"LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,
and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant."
— Unknown
I posted a previous blog about making no one a stranger. I have taken to that as my motto, you can read that blog by clicking here. Since I have had so many issues with putting myself out there I have been pushing myself to talk to more and more people. I learned a valuable lesson from my late friend Mitch Johnson. Shortly after I met him he starting calling me "best friend Katie", one night I finally asked him why he called me that. He told me "I like everyone, I'm nice to every new person I meet because they could end up being my new best friend." What great words to live by.
The hardest part of the cycle of friendships is the letting go part, that is definitely something I have to work on, when a season passes, and the friendship has fizzled I need to not force it. I posted previously about not being able to hate me unless I hate you first and I don't hate anyone. In that blog I discussed a woman, Barb, in our group of friends that didn't seem to like me so I was extra special nice to her to prove to Barb her first initial opinion of me was wrong. Now we are friends.
I tried that same method with another woman, Gail, who I was friends with but for some reason Gail decided she didn't like me. I tried to be nice to her, saying "hi" to her whenever I saw her. Taking Romans 12:20 to heart, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Well this little nugget backfired and the hot coals I piled upon her head made Gail very angry. So I learned a lesson, and stopped going out of my way to be nice to her. I will, however, rise above and not speak poorly about her although I know she is speaking poorly of me. We all struggle when people talk about us behind or backs, it makes us want to defend ourselves and lash out. But think of this; If I were to lash out and speak poorly against Gail the way she is doing to me. I look just as foolish an petty as she is. However, if I rise above and say nothing, Gail is the one who looks foolish. Jesus told us to turn the other cheek, and as hard as it is I am turning the other cheek.
I tried that same method with another woman, Gail, who I was friends with but for some reason Gail decided she didn't like me. I tried to be nice to her, saying "hi" to her whenever I saw her. Taking Romans 12:20 to heart, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Well this little nugget backfired and the hot coals I piled upon her head made Gail very angry. So I learned a lesson, and stopped going out of my way to be nice to her. I will, however, rise above and not speak poorly about her although I know she is speaking poorly of me. We all struggle when people talk about us behind or backs, it makes us want to defend ourselves and lash out. But think of this; If I were to lash out and speak poorly against Gail the way she is doing to me. I look just as foolish an petty as she is. However, if I rise above and say nothing, Gail is the one who looks foolish. Jesus told us to turn the other cheek, and as hard as it is I am turning the other cheek.
Have you ever had a friendship fizzle? How did you deal? Are you one to lash out on the other person or do you turn the other cheek?
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