Day 2

I had the joy yesterday of seeing an old friend for the first time in a long time. It is amazing to me how you can be friends with someone for years, then drift apart as life takes you in different directions, but then when you see each other it's like you were never apart. That is one of the beauties of friendship, and that brings me joy.

There are so many types of friendships, and I have been blessed with many of them over the years. Growing up I had friends that were basically family and we practically lived in each other houses. I have had friends that I barely talked to in person, but would have long and deep conversations with over facebook. I have friends that I didn't like at first but now share a close bond. Other friends I felt drawn to immediately. I have had long friendships and short friendships, deep friendship and shallow friendships. And the part that I like the best is that there is a place for all of them.

I think that it is hard to come up with what an ideal friend is like because we all look for different things in friendships, but at the root of all great friendships are people that trust each other and enjoy being with each other. Other than that, friendships can look vastly different. I don't have to spend a lot of time with my friends in order to feel close to them, in fact, I can go months without talking to someone and still feel connected to them when we see each other again. A lot of people aren't like that, though, and in order to be a good friend I need to stay in contact with my friends to show them that I still care for them. There have been times when I have been better at that than others, and there is always room to improve.

When you are blessed with good friends in your life, it is indeed a reason to be joyful. Friends are a wonderful gift of God and add so much to ours lives. Also be joyful for the privilege of being a friend. As much fun as friends are, they are also work, and if you don't work at it, then you probably won't have a friend. The best friendships happen when both people look at what they can give, not what they can get out of the friendship. Selfishness is a great destroyer of relationships, and it is also a great destroyer of joy. Pour yourself out, because only then will you have room to be filled.

May the God of peace grant you joy in your friendships.