thoughts on friendship...

It is raining tonight in the city. The kind of rain that mysterioulsy makes all who are experiencing it curl up under blankets on their couches. I've come to realize that summer storms in this city are nothing to laugh about. We've already had tornados, power outages, and hail damage. If you listen closely... I'm sure you can hear the faint, yet incessant, drone of the severe weather siren even as I type this entry tonight.

I'm wanting to write tonight about friendship. I recently read some teenie-bopper magazine article about what a "true friend" should be. This (not exactly journalistic) article was chalk full of things like "don't steal your girlfriends man" or "lie only when necessary". Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed that the women of tomorrow are getting such craptastic advice about friendship. Don't get me wrong.... I doubt I'm the picture-perfect confidante at all times, but I, at least, attempt to take my friendship cues from a bit more reliable source. AKA: The Bible. Tonight, I will share with you what I have learned to be the distinguishing characteristics of a true friend.

A true friend "sharpens"-
Proverbs 27:17 says, "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." Just like the sharp edge of a knife, a true friend will put an edge on your life and continue to aid in it's sharpening. False friends will ultimately dull your life, blunt your influence, basically... drag you down. True friends will do the opposite. A true friend is one who will ultimately influence your life, in all areas, for the better.

A true friend "sticks"-
True friends are steadfast. As it is stated in Proverbs 17:17, a favorite verse of mine, "A friend loveth at all times..." At times, the journey of friendship is like a cruise ship. It's fairly easy to get on and off board. Often, friends will stay on board as long as everything is sailing smoothly; but once rough water arrives, they abandon ship. A true friend is one who will ride the waves, and possibly even help you steer the boat.

A true friend "stabs"-
Now, I realize that at first glance "stabs" seems to be a rather harsh word, but hear me out! Proverbs 27:6 says "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." I am a firm believer in the truth that true friends will wound you if it's necessary. That is, a true friend will tell you the truth even if it's not what you want to hear. Flattery is not a sign true friendship. A true friend cares enough to confront. The best friends I have had in my 23 years of life are the ones who have been honest regardless of what they thought I wanted to hear.

Granted... staying away from your girlfriends' significant other is an important thing to remember, but I wouldn't say that it was a defining characteristic of what friendship should be. I know that I didn't do the greatest job of explaining my points, but at least I set you folks up with some places to look up the scripture I referenced. That's really the most important part anyway.

The rain has since died down and I am now headed off to bed. Tomorrow is one more rainstorm closer to another beautiful weekend.

Goodnight, friends.
Tempa