First of all, I’d like to thank the God of all grace who is transforming me daily from a very socially awkward person into someone who can hold a decent conversation. I’m not totally there yet and I have my awkward moments still, but I’m a heckuva lot better than I was.

That said, sometimes you will have friendships that come out of nowhere. Be thankful. Sometimes, friends will walk out of your life or put up a wall. Be thankful even then. I’ll admit that I am bad when it comes to reading people and figuring out what they’re thinking. I’m generally wrong most of the time, so I’d rather trust in God than my own feelings.

What I’ve learned is that you can’t control what your friends do, only what you can do. What you can do is to love those people in your life while they’re in your life. Pray for them and encourage them and bless them. Look for God’s best in them and give them every benefit of the doubt. Forgive them liberally, knowing God will forgive you just as you forgive others.

Then there are friends that are special blessings. They stick around no matter what and make you into a better person. Praise God for them, too. I have friends like that who bless me every single day and inspire me in my walk with Christ.

I think the most important lesson you can learn is to love without expecting love back, to give without expecting a return, and to bless and pray for them even when you get silence in response. After all, it’s not about them or even you. It’s about how God can be lifted up and magnified and how we can strive to push each other to be more like Christ. That’s what it’s all about.

Amen and amen.