Why Not Now: Repairing My Relationship with Friends - Wednesday
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” (NLT)
Yesterday we looked at two of the key ingredients to a deep friendship. Today, we will see what the stuff of trust and vulnerability actually is: honesty and accountability.
A couple of years ago, I fell down a staircase in my apartment. I have two left feet and below-average depth perception, so (unfortunately) this is not altogether surprising. In my remarkably loud crash landing, I bonked my head and bit my lip pretty good. I was disoriented, but okay, so I walked back upstairs to assess the damage and see what I needed to do. My husband (who is an EMT) was home, and he immediately rushed over to help. I was actually annoyed that he was all up in my business because I was trying to take care of my own self, so I shooed him away. But about 10 seconds later, I started getting tunnel vision and clammy hands, and no sooner than saying “I’m going down!” did I completely lose consciousness.
Thankfully, despite my efforts to sidestep his help, my husband was right there to catch me before I hit the tile floor, saving me from what could have been a worse injury.
I guess we all need people who are “all up in our business.”
I don’t mean nosy gossips or prying busybodies who just want to be “in the know” about everything. What I DO mean is friends. People who know our stuff. The best stuff, the hardest stuff, the joyful stuff, the scary stuff. The good, bad, and ugly.
Scripture is pretty plain about a couple of things:
One, we’re gonna face tough stuff in this life (‘cause it’s a fallen world) and sometimes we are going to really biff it (‘cause we’re sinners).
But two, we aren’t made to face it alone and we can’t fix it alone.
Two are better than one. Friends double our joy and halve our pain, but friendship ain’t much without the ability to speak truth (honesty) and allow input (accountability). Everyone needs a few friends who know everything about them– so find your real, flesh-and-blood buddies who you have shared your story with that will watch your back, keep you on track, and pick you up when you fall.
Wednesday’s Reflection
Does your closest friend know your WHOLE story? If not, schedule a time to share a meal and share your stories with each other. Take the time to listen and really get to know each other, build each other up, and keep each other in check.
