What I am Learning from #the4500
Part One of Like a Billion
Lesson One: Friendships need follow through. Yesterday, I got happy mail! I received an actual envelope with my name handwritten and inside, a sweet card and a gift. Not my birthday, not an anniversary, just because. I smiled, I giggled, and I was greatly encouraged. This friend had thought of me, prayed for me, and then followed through on an idea. It made a huge difference in my life. It also reminded me of the truth that friendships need follow through. Follow through can mean a lot of different things. The essential part is action, doing something. This is the hard part for me. If you want to text – I’m in. If you need prayer – I am on it – often. Actually showing up for dinner, making a phone call, mailing the letter I wrote – that is hard for me. I don’t know all the reasons why, I just know I struggle to follow through. But I am learning that the benefits of action added to thought are abundant and plentiful. They are more than worth stepping out of my comfort zone. To my friends who have been patiently waiting for me to figure this out – thank you for loving on me and living this out as an example. Thank you for your patience and your repeated attempts to engage me – even when I don’t respond. To my new friends in #the4500 thank you for pushing me out of my comfort zone. Thank you for concrete examples of what friendship looks like. To my dear new friend who made my day yesterday – you have no idea how much you have blessed me, and pushed me. I am so glad to call you friend. To my precious friend with whom I have been giving my best effort to follow through with lately – that is just how special you are – no, really – you are that special. To any woman who is reading this – let’s do this friendship thing better. Let’s act more than we talk. Let’s give more than we get – or at least try. Let’s do dinner, and phone calls, and happy mail. Let’s invest in each other – and reap the benefits.
Love this post! I'm still struggling with follow-through, and with thinking people might really be interested in being friends with *me*. Thank you for the reminder that friendship can't be phoned in, that I've got to show up. 🙂