Friends
I was wondering the other day about my friends. According to my Facebook profile, I have 232 friends and counting. As far as people who truly know me, and who I truly know, the list is much shorter. In fact, I was sitting around with a group of friends the other night and as I looked at them I began to wonder how on earth we became such good friends. That's when it hit me....All my good friends are friends because of encounter.
The encounter I refer to is hard to analyze. In fact, it was different as I began to think with each friend. For example, I am good friends with my friend Lindsay because of a summer when she and I had a conversation in which I fully exposed my hurting and wounded heart to her. She had been gentle and kind with my exposure, and shared with me some of the things that had hurt and wounded her as well. Another e.g., my freshman year I was at a concert with some guys from my hall. They decided they wanted to leave and go off-campus. In the next few minutes an act of kindness and sincerity led me to my friends Jeff and Brent.
As I began to think more and more of these encounters I began to feel more and more encouraged. All of my good friends are friends because we approached each other with a realness, a sincerity of the heart. I have heard it before that if you want friends, go out and be a friend. Well, yes and no, I think if you want true friends, be real, honest, sincere. Listen to people when they talk to you...And be ready for it....Its sneaky and happens very little throughout the day...But then you'll heart it occasionally...Its a delicate moment...sometimes its the first genuine "How was your day" and sometimes its simply listening to someone as they shares to you how they have been hurt. Be careful with those moments....its those moments that have true friend potential.
The encounter I refer to is hard to analyze. In fact, it was different as I began to think with each friend. For example, I am good friends with my friend Lindsay because of a summer when she and I had a conversation in which I fully exposed my hurting and wounded heart to her. She had been gentle and kind with my exposure, and shared with me some of the things that had hurt and wounded her as well. Another e.g., my freshman year I was at a concert with some guys from my hall. They decided they wanted to leave and go off-campus. In the next few minutes an act of kindness and sincerity led me to my friends Jeff and Brent.
As I began to think more and more of these encounters I began to feel more and more encouraged. All of my good friends are friends because we approached each other with a realness, a sincerity of the heart. I have heard it before that if you want friends, go out and be a friend. Well, yes and no, I think if you want true friends, be real, honest, sincere. Listen to people when they talk to you...And be ready for it....Its sneaky and happens very little throughout the day...But then you'll heart it occasionally...Its a delicate moment...sometimes its the first genuine "How was your day" and sometimes its simply listening to someone as they shares to you how they have been hurt. Be careful with those moments....its those moments that have true friend potential.
posted by K at 8:59 PM
3 Comments:
Josh,
Thanks for sharing this blog about friends. Hilarious that you started it off in reference to your friends on "facebook". I'm not even sure they should call it "add a friend" or whatever because you pretty much add acquaintances and sometimes strangers of which you know nothing about. (Maybe I'm just speaking from experience..) But this isn't turning into a blog about "facebook"..we'll leave that for another day. I really enjoyed hearing your heart on this situation, since you seem to be quite the popular guy, in my eyes anyway. I doubt that fact will ever change, big bro, since I can't help but look up to you. You definitely left me with a challenge though, to be sincere and honest with people. I've heard that phrase that you said, " to have a friend, be a friend" and never really thought twice about it. This is the first comment I've ever left, so I hope it's making some sense. Keep on writing Josh! I love your thoughts!!
Josh,
I hearing your thoughts on different things. I am always intruiged by what you have to say. You alway provoke me to think more deeply about common day situations and I really like that. I started thinking about my days when you talked about the encounters that you have to watch for. It is such a blessing when you just slow down and look at the things around you. There are so many people you can talk to or that just want to be noticed. Looking for those opportunities to fill a need and be a friend is so encouraging.
It seems like most of the time we are just rushing here and there, trying to get this and that done. What I'm saying is that when we're rushing we sometimes tend to overlook a need or brush someone off because a conversation with them doesn't fit our schedule. Eventually, when you slow down and think for a second you realize that maybe you should have given that person a little more time. I was encouraged by you saying that we just need to be ready for it.
hey girls,
thanks for the comments. This is an interesting topic isn't it. I mean its people that we deal with most throughout the day. I fear most people, even myself, never really get to know another person and never get to love them fully. Since so much of our day is spent performing almost. Its when were real,sincere,honest,genuine, and kind that we get through to people and that the performance fizzles out, ya know?
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