Be on the look out for a potential friend
"There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother."
-Proverbs 18:24 (NIV)
This week, I'm meeting up with a friend. Most of the time, we don't get the opportunity to meet face-to-face. Like others, we're sending an occasional email to catch up on our lives. But every so often, we like to have that in-person contact. There's nothing like being in the presence of a friend.
What is it about friends that makes us desire to have some? Friendship is such an important topic that even Mayo Clinic has done studies on it. Health experts say they enrich our lives. Scientific studies prove having them helps us live longer.
From a spiritual standpoint, I view the Bible as a book on relationships. From cover to cover, there are stories that involve humans connecting with their fellow man and God.
There's so much to be said about relationships, countless numbers of books have been written on the subject.
With the invention of social media, friends have really become a hot commodity. People are going online to tally up who has the largest number of friends on their network page.
The quest for friendship is so important to us - I still remember my first longing for one. It happened when my older sister went to play with her friend. This made me notice I didn't have any friends. I wasn't attending school yet, and didn't have anyone my age in the neighborhood to befriend. Since then, I learned how to make friends, to the point that I won the citizenship award two years in a row. I don't claim to be an expert, but I'll share a few simple points I've learned along the way.
Welcome newcomers into your neighborhood, classroom, workplace or church. Get a chance to know them. They may be a potential friend.
Share on a basic level to start. Listen when others talk. Acknowledge their feelings. Show you care. Offer to help them in some way when possible.
Explore common interests. Most friendships are based on having some things in common. Yet, be willing to learn new things as well.
Don't be pushy and overly opinionated. No one likes a know-it-all. Accept your differences.
Have some relationships with people you can have phone or face-to-face conversations with. In a real conversation, you can hear voice tones, observe body language, and even have a handshake, hug or a kiss on the cheek. The personal touch is the mechanism that improves our health. There's nothing wrong with our computer friends. It's fun to share a recipe or post a few vacation pics. But when all is said and done, and you're down and out, who is it that can lend you a hand, give you a gift, help you cope with your loss, or lend you five bucks? These are the ones who stick close by.
Observe who is a good fit for you. If someone doesn't seem to click, still treat them kindly.
Pray for the right friendships. When Jesus was picking the 12 disciples, his friends, he prayed about who he was to select.
Sometimes a simple greeting is all it takes to start a conversation. Wherever you are, be on the look out for a potential friend.
• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. She is hosting a "Writing for Fun or profit" conference Saturday, June 8 from Noon to 3 p.m. in Libertyville. Contact her for further information or to register. Annettee can be contacted by email at Annetteebudzban@aol.com or (847) 543-8413.