The Power of Friendship

"And it's because I have a friend. Which, I suppose, was really what I needed all along."

A friend of mine uttered these words and my heart nearly stopped beating. I can't imagine why in a world full of people anyone would not have a friend. I know for me, a life without friends would not be a life at all, and this statement proved it. What he needed to be where he is today was a friend. There is a great power in the smallest act of friendship.

I honestly don't think many people realize how great of an impact kind words and caring gestures can be to someone who does not often hear them. I think we all too often take life for granted. The friends I hang out with almost every day are truly blessed and so am I. I don’t only mean monetarily blessed either, though in that aspect comparatively we are. We all live in a middle class culture and have money to do things that many really cannot do. There are people in the world who don't have the kinds of blessings we have. But the blessing I want to focus on has nothing to do with money. It is the blessing of true, genuine friendship.

I have friends that I can call anytime any day and they will listen, and encourage. They will dry my tears and cheer at my successes. I can't imagine my life without these amazing friends. Some friends have stood the test of time and trials. Others are new and have yet to be weathered, but all in all they are all a blessing to me. These friends, the ones who I can trust with my deepest and darkest secrets have been there for me and I am there for them. I take that for granted and I don't want to anymore.

This question that comes to mind, as I lived this blessed life with amazing friends…and I mean friends and not just acquaintances, is this "Are we truly willing to be friends to those who need a friend right now?" There are people who live lives alone, truly alone with no one to turn to in times of joy or in times of pain. They exist with me in this world, but they are alone. I, by nature, am rarely alone. I have always been one to be surrounded by people, but it has not been until I reached my adult life that I realized what a true friendship really was. As a child, I had acquaintances, and many, but few friends. I surround myself with people. The neat thing about that is that I have found several people in my journey's who have deeply impacted my life and who I count as genuine friends. Tricia, Natalie, Tony, Adam, Eric, Mara, Erin…and if I leave you out it's not intentional, there are many more. But I am realizing that I am so blessed. I recently went through a really scary time and I found that with my faith in God and my friends by my side, I was truly never alone.

I hurt for the people who are alone. I hurt for the ones who have never felt this kind of friendship. I hurt for the ones who can't see a reason to keep going. I hurt for those who have no purpose in life. I know that in my life there are several people who would willingly give up things and make sacrifices for me. I know this mainly because they have. I know that I have friends who would be willing to make different choices and better decisions because they know it will make me more joyful. But, until today, until this moment I have not realized that for others, slaying a dragon to be my friend might take work. Am I worthy of that kind of friendship? Am I willing to be that kind of friend? Are there people in my life right now who are facing a dragon that needs slain, and unable to do it because they don't have a friend to hold their hand through this? I want to be that friend.

I have a friend who is turning his life around. I have a friend who is becoming who he wants to be a little more every day. Why? What changed? He has a friend. Something he's needed.

Look around you…especially those who call yourselves Christians. Look around you and be someone's friend. There is a world around us full of hurting people. Break out of your comfort zone. Break out and make a new friend. You will be glad you did.