Approachable me...

Our Daily Bread

I reviewed a very cute movie this summer called Despicable Me. It was about a man named Gru that thought of himself as an arch criminal. He turned out to be a softy when three little girls melted his heart.

The point of that paragraph is that thing aren't always what they seem. Some people are very welcoming or inviting to friendship, but may not seem like it due their gruff disposition or their "busy-ness". Today's devotional calls the people of God to be "approachable me" like Jesus was when he was on earth. Some might say "Well, Jesus didn't have to work or raise a family or take kids to soccer, etc. How could he understand why I am not more approachable?" REALLY? Would you ask Jesus that question if he were standing next to you? Well, I have to admit, there have been times in my life I would have asked questions much worse than that because of my feelings of being deserted by God.

God is approachable. We should be approachable, too.

Lord, I want to be more approachable so I can show others your grace.

Wee-way-shun-ship Wednesday

This week I want to talk about friendship. Not the kind of romantic or formerly romantic friendship I have written about in the past few weeks. I love hearing "how did you become friends?" stories. Here are a few of my thoughts.

Acquaintances

This is usually the largest group of the people we have met or know. We might know their names or something about them or their family. There may even be some kind of friendship connection, but it hasn't been pursued yet. You may only acknowledge these folks in passing on the street or a warm hello at church. Not much more interaction than that.

Casual or work friends

These are folks that you see more often than acquaintances and probably have more in common because you have some kind of bond -- work, church, singing group, common cause, etc. These are the folks that you might have lunch with or talk to at parties. There may or may not be a friendship connection. It is usually a limited kind of friendship where little sharing is done about personal things.

More than casual friends

These are the folks that you start to let into your life or who start to let you in theirs. This is a neat stage because you both realize that there could be a strong friendship here. I have some friends that have "jump-started" to this stage. I met a guy at work recently that I knew would be my friend. We had lunch one day and shared about our lives -- he is married with a child and I am a single gay guy. We found we had a strong common bond -- our faith in God. We have talked a few time since then. We both recognize the friendship as something more than casual. How cool...

Close friends

These are your "go to" friends when you need to talk or ask for favors. Most folks don't have that many close friends. Most relationships are in the categories above this. My humble advice is if you want to have a close friend (or friends), then BE the kind of person who makes a good close friend. This is a good place to insert the Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Be trustworthy. Be yourself. Be honest. Be supportive. Be accepting. Be open to having feelings for someone that is not a romantic interest. Think about that.

Best friends

I am fortunate to have the bestest best friend in the world! I wrote about him as my first Sunday Friend when I started this blog a few months ago. How does a friendship go from a close friend to a best friend? Do I really have to choose a close friend to be my best friend? We have a tendency to gravitate to people like us. A best friend can be someone very similar to you or someone who is so different that you somehow made a close friendship. What is the difference between a close friend and a best friend? My opinion is commitment to each other. With my best friend, I know that I don't have to "manage" the friendship. If we don't hear from each other in a day or two, the other one calls or texts or emails a "How u doin'?" message. Very cool. There is also the additional closeness from sharing more intimate things about each other. Many folks consider their partner or spouse to be their best friend. It is up to you. You do not have to chose!

We all have our own criteria for friendship or starting a friendship. Like the devotional talked about today -- be available if you want true friendship. It can be a tough journey at times, but it is worth it.

Other Stuff

I had a busy day at work, then a busier night at home! I picked up two prescriptions after work and then headed home. I wanted to water the lawn. The new grass is starting to pop up! Woohoooo! I wanted to paint around the new door handles. I admit I may not have done the best job on installing these door handles. I will see if I leave the front door handle the way it is or try to fix it. I sort of shutter at the thought of fixing it since it wasn't easy to install. Oh well. I put laundry away. I made some BBQ chicken for supper. I made some chili for the rest of the week. I read my D2 stuff. I talked on the phone with some friends before hitting the sack.

Today will be another busy day at work, then off to church for D2 class. Should be a great day!

Hang in there my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...