Building Sound Friendships

Posted on April 2, 2019 by wordvessel

Is it already a new month? Wow! And a new month means a new theme of blogs. I would like to take time to focus on friendship. Friendship is vital for a socially fulfilled life and it refines us as we strive to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Without friends, we would have fewer opportunities to practice selflessness.

Background: over the past two years I have experienced friendship in fresh ways. I went through a decently traumatic ending to a friendship, made new friendships and cultivated continuing ones. At the same time, my oldest two children entered the stage of desiring friendships of their one and observing them make their entrance into the social community has been fascinating for me.

Looking ahead: I have come to recognize that while I am the common denominator in all of my friendships I am still only responsible for my own words, actions and attitudes. I can not force others to see things my way, respond the way I want them to or live their lives according to my value system. I am not responsible for who they are as individuals. This is simultaneously freeing and challenging concept for me, and I hope to explore it in more detail in this month’s blog series.

I welcome your thoughts, reflections and personal experiences along the way.

About wordvessel

Aloha! This blog is a window into the active mind of a wife, mother, woman and individual. I may be busy every moment of every day, but I still have time to think. Many seasons have blossomed and faded within my life, and this blog has endured through all of them. It is safe to say that my writing has matured because of them. I hope that you will be inspired to think in fresh ways as you read my writing. To Jesus be all the glory.
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4 Responses to Building Sound Friendships

  1. Melissa McLaughlin says:
    April 2, 2019 at 2:23 pm

    Wow, you have so much truth packed into this post! I have also grieved friendships that deteriorated, missed those that have dissipated and thanked God for the new friendships He has led me to. I can see how much God has helped me grow as a person, a friend and lean more to Him as my friend above all friends. But you are right, this is not easy. One thing I am learning again and again, is that there are only so many hours in any day and so there is simply only enough time for “so many” meaningful relationships. So, sometimes friendships dissipate because of time constraints. And yes, we can only be responsible for our own choices in all of this. I look forward to your upcoming reflections!

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  2. cglove427 says:
    April 11, 2019 at 12:29 pm

    This is SO true and takes the burden off of us in some ways, knowing we are only responsible for ourselves and our thoughts and actions.

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