Ointment and perfume delight the heart, And the sweetness of a man’s friend [gives delight] by hearty counsel.
[Pro 27:9 NKJV]
Friendship is a gift. It is another relationship, along with marriage, that God has given us so we have companionship through life. You never know when He will bring a friend into your life who will end up being a huge blessing.
Throughout last year it became apparent to me who my close, trusted friends were in my life. It turns out that many of the friendships that helped me get through 2020 were not even those with whom I had a close relationship prior. It is amazing how crisis and adversity shows you who you can count on.
God brings specific people into our life. We do not always know the reason. There is a quote that says people come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. I’m not sure where the quote originated, but it is used often when speaking about friendships.
During my life I have had many friends fall into the different categories. I can look back and say definitively that I know which category various friends fell into. What took me by surprise are the friends from 2020. A few of the friends who supported me during 2020, and even now, were not close friends but rather acquaintances who have become very dear to me.
Who are these people that God put into my life because He knew I would need them?
- The owner of a diner we have frequented weekly for over 10 years.
- My hairstylist who I found a few years ago but who grew up in the same town I did.
- Our neighbor we lived next to for 10 years before we really connected.
- A friend I met through a guy friend 22 years ago.
Each one has played a large role in my life over the last year. God blessed me with them because He knew what was going to happen last year and that I would need extra support.
One typically doesn’t know until after the fact which category friends fall into, but I treasure each and every one because I don’t know what tomorrow will bring.
We can be thankful that God knows we need companionship to get through life – friends who are there through the thick and thin of each day.
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
[Pro 27:17 NIV]
Dear Jesus,
I thank you from the depths of my heart for every single friend you have given me throughout my life. You are glorious and loving and knew from the start that we would need friends to help guide, encourage, support, and strengthen us. We don’t always know why you bring someone into our lives, but we know you often do it for a reason, if not always. Friendship is an incredible gift we can give someone. Help us be the friend to others, the way you designed friendship to be. Thank you for the friends you have given us who have been by us through the last year. So many friendships have developed and grown from the adversity we are going through. Lord, for those who may still need a friend to get through, please open doors for those relationships to be found and nurtured.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
