Stick with your friends through thick and thin. Did you ever wonder what that means. It is so easy to maintain a friendship through the good times, but just wait until someone makes a stupid choice or decision. Don’t regret being able show them how you will stick by them as an encouraging presence and practical helper through their darkest days.
You may not understand their choices, or endorse their actions. It is easy to struggle with the consequences of what they are doing, and leave. You don’t even have to go anywhere physically, but all of a sudden you are withdrawing your availability and friendship. Selfishly tucking your heart into a safe place, a little box and walking away.
I desperately want to learn to stay.
Stay through conflict.
Stay through struggles.
Stay through suffering.
Stay through discomfort.
Stay through misunderstanding.
I desperately want to break old habits.
Stop closing my mind to find a happy place
Stop hiding.
Stop withdrawing.
Stop fleeing to comfort.
Stop taking the easy road.
I want to leave, but my heart longs to stay. I long to learn but that might be painful. I long to be able to give grace to others as the One who never leaves does for me. I long to love unconditionally!
(ideas from Proverbs 31 Ministries)