Today I bumped into 2 old friends in the same centre. One was excited to see me - and I her! The other only warranted a respectful hello, and nothing more. Isn't it funny how people change.
One friend organised a catch up (because I was working at the time), and the other was simply 'there'.
All my life I have seen the relevance of the concept that
FRIENDS are for
a reason;
a season;
or a lifetime.
During the last 2 years I have seen this so clearly....and sometimes it has been quite sad to let friends go. But when you remember this concept, it is much easier to accept the changes.
Sometimes you don't want to let friends go, but trying to keep them seems to take up more emotional energy than God expects of us. That's when you need to let them go. When the emotional drain and strain are not worth the results you receive. When you know you've tried, but it seems nothing will change unless the other person also tries. So you need to let them go. It's also true of the quote:
"If you love something/somebody let them go". It's not easy...but sometimes it's all you can do. Sometimes they return...others times they do not. They are the reason and seasonal friends. While the reason or season was ripe, the friendship was too. But once the reason or season came to an end...you had the accept the inevitable....and let them go.
Sometimes I wonder whether we are to let friends go because we need to make room for new ones...for new seasons in our lives... other times I can see that friends who I truly valued, were only in my life for a short time. Not because they were bad people, but their purpose in my life, and mine in theirs was no longer required. Unfortunately, sometimes these friends have become 'dark' and tried to put black in my rainbows...but God designed the rainbows - and helped me to remove the black, or removed the black himself.
I must admit that some of the blackest ones have previously been some of the brightest colours. But they were only seasonal friends... there is no longer a place in my rainbow for them. But that is ok. I understand the reasons. Sometimes it hurts to let friends go... but it is the only option.
Sometimes friends who never really left, but drifted away... return when you least expect!
I need to remind myself of the good times with some old friends. The enemy loves to try to cause rifts and hurts, but when you remember God's purposes, you know everything works together for good (Rom 8:28).
Having said that, I'm looking forward to catching up with my old friend again :)
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