Friends....

There are a few quotes in the scriptures about friends that I really like. The first is in Proverbs 27:17-

“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”

The first time I read that quote I didn’t really know what to think of it, but the more I pondered it the more I liked it. Iron is sharpened by “slow, measured strokes until a rough, sharp edge has been revealed” (http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5611896_process-iron-sharpening.html). You don’t sharpen iron with one hard, swift stroke. It takes patience, time, and care. Likewise, friends don’t change you overnight. Slowly, over time, their influence transforms you. Their slow and measured strokes help you to reach a higher potential. I am so grateful for each and every friend I’ve had, especially those who over the years have continued to help me become a better person.

Proverbs 27:6-

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend….”

This one stumped me at first too! Why would a friend ever want to wound another friend? Then I remembered a few examples from my own life of friends who hurt me when they were being honest and open with me. Corrections hurt, but when given by a loving friend who truly has our best interest at heart, those wounds are faithful. I wouldn’t be who I am today if it weren’t for the correction my true friends have given me, and I’m grateful for the courage they had to wound me on occasion when I needed that correction.

John 15:13-

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

Apparently another way to translate 'lay down' from Greek is ‘set aside'. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man set aside his life for his friends.” What a beautiful thing it is to have friends who are willing to set aside their lives and serve you when you truly need them. Wow….I hope I can be a friend like that to others.

So, I’ve been thinking a lot about friends because of my amazing roommates. I started trying to blog more last semester in an attempt to record my experiences in our ASL apartment. At the end of that first post I talked about how I knew that the “frustrations of not being able to fully express ourselves or completely understand each other as roommates will be far outweighed by…the experiences that we will have, and the love that we are developing for each other through this experience. Already I feel like we are a family.”

Wow. I had no idea how right I would be when I wrote that. Last semester I gained some of my very best friends and a handful of new sisters. What an amazing experience to learn from their examples, their patience, and their love. I will be eternally grateful for the four months I had the privilege of living with Destiny, Rebekah, Alex, Darci, and Aubry. What a blessing they are in my life.