A Matter of Faith...

The Gift of Friendship

By Carol Round

“If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” Ecclesiastes 4:10 (NIV)
Can you recall your first best friend? I can. Her name is Gwen.
I have not seen nor talked to Gwen in more than 30 years but I still remember her. Several months before my 16th birthday, my family relocated from Louisiana to Oklahoma, where my parents grew up. At first, I stayed in touch via snail mail. In the late 60s, hand-written letters were the common form of long-distance communication.
Times have changed but not our need for friendships. Each new chapter in my life has included new friends. As the pages turn, my life is enriched by this circle of friends.
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, one friend showed up on my doorstep with a white rose of hope. Other friends drove me to pre- and post-op doctor visits.
Visiting with a friend over lunch recently, I had to laugh when she crumbled her chips into her tortilla soup. Because my friend teaches etiquette classes, I found it humorous when she explained that you really shouldn’t do that in public. However, since we are friends, she felt comfortable enough to ignore that tip.
Friends come in all shapes and sizes. Some offer their big heart. Others offer a shoulder on which to cry. Some bring sunshine and some listen to you whine. Others will speak the truth, even when it hurts. Pals will compliment us, hug us, send birthday cards, and encourage us to keep putting one foot in front of the other when we want to give up. Yet, we may only hear once a year from another friend.
I receive a Christmas card each December from my college roommate. We rarely talk on the phone. Occasionally, we e-mail each other, but each time we communicate, it seems as if it has been only a day or two since we last visited. Our relationship has lasted for more than 30 years.
Renewing old friendships that have ended on a less than pleasant note are also heart-warming. Several months ago, I had a dream about a friend with whom I had not spoken in almost two years. Our relationship had become strained due to circumstances at work. When I retired and moved to a new community, we lost touch. After my dream, I felt led by God to contact her. I picked up the phone one evening and said, “Judy, this is Carol. How are you doing?”
Our long-distance conversation was a time for catching up on each other’s lives and a time for healing. Before she hung up the phone, she said, “Carol, I think of you often and I just want to say, ‘I love you.’”
One thing we should never ignore is our need for friends. We were created for relationships. When those relationships enhance our life and help us to grow into the person that God created us to be, then we can be assured that it is truly His gift.

A collection of Carol Round’s most popular faith-based columns is now available in book form. For more information, readers can reach her at carolaround@yahoo.com.