This morning as I sat half the house away behind a closed door with noise cancelling headphones on, I heard a wonderful sound. It was the laughter of my husband and two of his friends. Every month the three of them meet for coffee and talk shop, shop being their faith walks among other topics. Most of the time I don’t hear much of anything but today they were belly laughing – not just once but several times. That gave me a smile and joy.
What gives me the most joy in this is that they have each other, they hold each other accountable, they ask questions, they challenge. Iron sharpens iron.
In a world where friendship is too often defined ONLY by shared activity, especially for men, these three brothers in Christ have been deliberate in supporting each other regularly.
As his wife, I am delighted my husband has these friends (and others). I cannot be his everything in spite of what various recording artists and social media influencers would have you believe. And one of the very early questions I asked when we first started dating was, “Tell me about your friends?”
We all need community. It’s how God created us. Community gives us examples of how to live, both good and bad, a sounding board for ideas especially those that sound great in our head, and a place for laughter.
Who has God placed in your life as a friend? And what is your definition of a friend? How are you going to purposefully strengthen and encourage this gift from God?
Just Sayin' 