Friends are great blessings.

An honest to goodness friend can be hard to find. That is a struggle for anybody, right? Who is trustful and honest and who isn't sharing your personal life stories with others? Don't we all need someone we can laugh with, confide in, and can encourage us? 

Yes, Jesus in my friend. I hope He finds me funny at times and laughs with me. I know that my prayers are conversations between just the two of us. (Well, meaning the Trinity and myself.) I know that the Bible is full of wonderful encouragement for all believers.  I also really appreciate the friends that I can see and hear clearly. I appreciate their kind laugh at my attempts to be funny and the encouraging words and prayers. There is great value and wonderful strength in these friendships.

I love the friend that when I am having a difficult time with something pushes me to see the whole situation from another angle. I know I very easily get caught up with my own view and emotions in situations. I often forget to step back and take a moment to see the whole picture and consider different perspectives. Having a good friend to talk to that you can trust is priceless. Finding great friends like that is an act of God. 

I really mean that. Finding a trustworthy friend is an act of God. Think about it. We are all sinners. We all screw up. I know I have messed a few times with being the great friend I really would like to be to my friends. I know I often get too focused on my own life and not always really hear what is going on in my friend's life.  Some days it is just amazing to me that I do actually have real friends, in real life, not just my facebook 'friends'. 

 I think of how I have met my close friends and none of it seems like it was just thrown together and just sort of happened. Take, for example, when I met my husband (my best friend who loves even though I am not perfect!). It was the summer of 2001 at the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans. It was a trip that I was an alternate for and so was my husband for different groups. He lived in Michigan and I lived in Colorado and we met in New Orleans in a convention center at a gathering of about 30,000 people. I was there with some people that he knew and so we met when he was looking to say 'hi' to some of his friends. I really have a hard time seeing all that and saying that we met by chance. I really believe that it was part of a bigger plan.

I never know what is next in this life, but I am thankful that God has encouraged us to be together in His name (Matthew 18:20).  Everyone faces struggles in life. Leaning on and trusting in God and His plans, though it can be difficult to do, is what works best in the end. Leaning on friends who will pray for you, being encouraged and being able to encourage others is an amazing blessing.