Transparent Friendship

If you have a few moments this article on friendship by Jenny Schroedel is wonderful (link at bottom of post - she is a lion for sure!!).  Schroedel talks about being flexible in our friendships, not expecting to much.  She says that the quickest way to kill a friendship is to demand to much.  But this goes for any relationship, you have to check your expectations at the door.  "Sometimes our own expectations blind us to the grace before us. We become so fixated on what we want — or what we imagine we need — that we miss the gift that is being offered." 

Schroedel also talks about rejoicing in one another, enjoying each others gifts and not being envious or jealous.  For me this goes back to learning each others hearts, weather it's your spouse, friend or family.  She talks about transparency, and that the more transparent you are the more people will know your heart.  "The more deeply we know another person's secret hopes and anguishes — and the more we can identify with their struggles — the less inclined we are to envy them, the more eager we are to see them succeed."  This goes back to what I have said about marriage, being transparent and knowing each others hearts will leave less room for questioning and judgement.  If you know where it's coming from, why someone is doing something and what their goals are - you are less likely to judge and more likely to cheer them on.

She also speaks of growing and changing, we grow and so do our friendships.  Some friendships are temporary and some are more permanent, but all equally important.  We all want our friendships to grow with us,  and we all know that is not always the way it works.  But just as we are told to rejoice in God always, we need to rejoice in our friendships too - what they did for us, are doing for us, or will do for us.  Two are more powerful than one and it is always nice to have someone that knows you on your side... sometimes more than you know yourself.


For the lions... female lions raise their children together, live together and hunt together.


Article Link: http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001554.cfm