Karen Limmer, St. Luke’s member for 11 years, Outreach Team member

Proverbs 27:6, 9-10, 17 (NIV)

6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
but an enemy multiplies kisses.

9 Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart,
and the pleasantness of a friend
springs from their heartfelt advice.
10 Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family,
and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you—
better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.

17 As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.

Reflection:
My favorite verse here is Proverbs 27:6. “Wounds from a friend can be trusted.” How true! I sincerely hope that you have or will have a friend who loves you enough to tell you the truth, even when it hurts.

If you have not seen the 1980’s film, Steel Magnolias, go ahead and set aside a couple of hours this weekend. It is a wonderful movie about a group of southern ladies and their rock-solid friendship through the good and the bad in life. In one scene, the ladies are comforting M’Lynn (played by Sally Field), after the death of her daughter. M’Lynn holds it together for a time, but goes into a rage amongst her trusted friends. One of the friends dutifully offers up one of the other ladies, Ouiser (Shirley MacLaine), as a punching bag. “Ouiser, this is your chance to do something for your fellow man! Knock her lights out, M’Lynn!” And the grieving mother laughs. It is perfect. There is laughter through the tears; that is what authentic friendship is about. “The pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.” (Proverbs 27:9)

I have had all kinds of friends. Old friends, new friends, devoted friends, fickle friends, brief friendships, and those that grow richer with time. I have learned that it is okay that some friends were only in my life for a short time. However brief, I have been shaped by them, and vice versa. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17) And as I mature, I cherish my long-term friendships more and more. There is so much joy in being able to pick up a conversation with someone, skip the small talk, and jump in right where you left off days or weeks or months ago.

So how do we get these friends? Making friends does not come naturally to all of us. There is not one formula, but I have made most of my friends by taking the first step. Sign up for a Bible study or small group. Volunteer. Serve. Join a committee. Send a message to someone you have lost touch with. Friendships, like all relationships, take effort. But the return is tenfold.

Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for my friends and for seeing the beauty and value in friendship. You have placed the exact people in my life whom I need and who need me. Please help me nourish my friendships, to be attentive to them, and to not take them for granted. Amen.