There's a premium today on good friendships, for the more mobile we become as a society the less likely we are to develop and maintain good and healthy friendships... I think we can catagorize our interpersonal relationships into three camps, all three are often thought of as "friendships"...The first are those relationships in which we nurture another person. We feed them, intellectually, emotionally, and they take their support from us. These are our ministry, if you will.
The second are those relationships where we get fed, where we have someone to turn to in time of crisis, like a mentor. We are their ministry...
The last are those relationships that we feed each other, where there is a mutual benefit in the relationship. These are the true friendships, for they are edifying to each other; they fill our emotional tank even as we fill theirs. These are the most important to seek, and develop, and yet they are the hardest to maintain, for, like a relationship, a good friendship may take work to keep healthy, to properly develop, and work takes time, and time seems to be a luxury that all too few can afford now days. We are too busy doing life to slow down and enjoy life, and to develop good friendships...
Jesus taught multitudes, he touched many lives, but he had 12 friends, and even more telling, only 3 were with him when he was transfigured on the Mount. Three close friends; twelve good friends, and multitudes of people he ministered to... We need all three types of interpersonal relationships in our lives, but we really need friends...
On a personal note: Today is the first official day of Spring. We know this, because the plow came off the Explorer and went into storage until next winter... I look forward to that first sign that summer is officially here; the Explorer sports a canoe on top!
5 comments:
I think the 3rd are the only true friendships and agree they are most difficult to find but although work, the most easily maintained for we seek each other. The others, I have difficulty categorizing as friendships and prefer your mentor description... people cross paths for a reason... usually for one or the other to learn some life lesson or capture a bit of knowledge in order to evolve emotionally or spiritually.
Must my thought for the day. ~smiles from Texas~
Dear Texas,
Your thoughts are always well thought out, and your input is always welcome. I agree personally, that only the 3rd are true friendships; my comment was that others (not as sensitive or perceptive as you) sometimes call all three "friendships"... Thank-you for writing...
Perhaps it is perception or sensitivity and perhaps it is lack of life fundamentals, even environmental influences from life since childhood. Perhaps I define some things with too much complexity because I often have difficulty with simplicity.
You're most welcome.
~smiles~
Lack of life fundementals, C?
I don't think so. I believe we are all a product of our environment, to some degree, but we can choose how much influence we allow that environment to have...
I revel in the complex simplicity of nature, the simple complexity of life... Perhaps we need a new word- simplexity...
I agree in part... life fundamentals not learned at a young age can be grasped through other means in life's journeys. Some,however, haven't the foggiest on how to pursue such learning let alone put it to use.
o0o tickle my brain with wordplay .. I do so love creating language by either coin of the phrase or word that seems more appropo.
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