The Thing About Friends

Friends are great! Over the last five years or so I've made a lot of new friends. The thing is, only a few of them live within visiting distance from me. The rest of them are sprinkled all over the map.

This long distance stuff means that I go through spurts....Spurts where I'm driving a lot trying to see everyone, or keeping the guest blankets cycling through the machines trying to host them at my house. Spurts where I'm texting, talking on the phone, or skyping WHENEVER there is a time that is convenient for both of us. 

The spurts kill me. I can't say enough how much I love people and what a role these friends play in my life. I just long for a day when the connecting happens more easily so I don't feel like I'm always playing "catch up". 

Over the last week I've skyped for HOURS with my friends Shauna and Hannah and Glenn and Carol. I've talked with Heidi on the phone and over text. I've visited Alice. I still owe my Dad a call and I'm about to board a plane to get some time with my brother (joking on that one, but I keep trying to get in touch with him at the wrong time and it's kind of driving me crazy). 

I don't exactly know how to balance it.

The fact is, most of my friends live in different time zones. We all have lives and unfortunately, we're not really an actual part of each other's lives these days. Maybe you've got a similar situation?

How do you stay in touch with the people in your life? Is it just me, or are spurts just the way it is? 

 I think about connecting with people who are lonely in my community...There's a need for it. 

But then, I think about all of the people I'm already neglecting. 

Friendships take work and time and I'm so grateful for all of the people I have gotten to know in this life. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I know I'm not alone here. I'm writing to remind myself and all of you that our friends are worth every ounce of work that keeping them in our lives requires.

May we use our friendships as a means to build each other up, to inspire one another to take knowing and walking with God seriously, and may the distance not be such a burden. 

The thing about friends is they're great. I enjoy mine so much! May our relationships help our friends know just how much they mean to us!