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Hi friend! How’s your Week 4 going so far? Stick with us, and let’s finish strong!
Today, I want to chat with you about something dear to my heart: Friendship.
I hope the mention of “friendship” makes you smile and brings to mind members of your #Tribe. However, I know it can also bring to mind painful situations, because relationships sure can be tricky. And sometimes, we get hurt.
But Wendy Pope’s wise words, in Chapter 6 of Wait and See, remind us the risk is worth the reward.
“Risk is involved any time we reach out to others and open our heart. But there are also great rewards: support, hope, and encouragement.”
Support. Hope. Encouragement. Yes, please.
My friend Kristin and I are quite different. She’s an early riser. I’m a night owl. We currently house 17 animals here on Manna Homestead. Kristin isn’t what you’d call an animal lover.
Thankfully, the things we have in common, like our love for Jesus and finding a good bargain, far outweigh our differences. We didn’t start out as soul sisters. There have been some devastating life events that bonded us over the years. And now, in our respective waits, God uses us in each other’s lives to provide the support, hope and encouragement Wendy talks about in Chapter 6.
While we may not have a “Kristin” in every season of our lives, whatever our current friendship status, we can use Wendy’s instruction from this chapter to help us develop stronger relationships with God and with others.
For example, I love these specific details Wendy shares about what friends do for one another:
- A friend defends and builds godly character
- A friend loves and makes sacrifices
- A friend distracts the enemy and stands in the gap to strengthen us when the wait weakens our faith
I know waiting can be a desolate place, I’ve been there. But friendship can help make it less so. As we walk through this #WaitandSee study, will you join me in reaching out to those God has placed in our lives, to sow and reap the beautiful benefits of friendship?
Reflect and Respond:
Observe — I shared about my friend, Kristin, above. Now it’s your turn! Who’s a friend God placed in your life to help you in a wait? If a certain person doesn’t come to mind, how has God helped you in your wait?
Bible — Read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. What do these verses teach us about sharing the struggles we inevitably encounter in our “wait” — instead of trying to do it alone?
Stretch — As we’re reflecting on the blessing of friendships in our wait, how will you reach out to those God has placed in your life, to let them know how grateful you are for them?