A Dance Duet

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

“Laura, do you want to sign up for a duet with me?” Kinsey asked one of her best friends as they added their names to the audition list for the advanced dance team.

“Oh, that sounds cool! Yes, go for the duet. I am so excited for this dance season!” Laura replied.

Kinsey and Laura met when they joined the same dance studio several years earlier and became close friends. When Kinsey saw the chance to dance a duet together, she was so excited!

But a week later her heart sank when she realized she had made the advanced team and Laura had not. It hadn’t occurred to either of them that they would ever be on separate dance teams. Kinsey wasn’t sure what to say to Laura. She was proud of herself for making the most competitive team, but she was worried that Laura would feel abandoned or sad and not want to participate in their duet.

Kinsey turned to her mom for advice and texted Laura, telling her how badly she still wanted to dance the duet together despite being on different teams. Kinsey worked to find the right balance of encouraging Laura without giving up her own dream of being on the more competitive team. Laura had to find the right balance of excitement for Kinsey while remaining confident in her own abilities and willing to dance the duet. Both girls had to choose friendship over uncomfortable feelings and learned to support one another instead of letting competition and insecurity get in the way.

One of the hardest parts of friendship to navigate is when our talents separate us from our friends. We might find ourselves in the advanced English class, making the basketball team, or being selected for a lead role in the play, or perhaps our friend is selected and we are not.

It’s okay to be quietly disappointed but still filled with joy for someone else. We can’t let disappointment ruin our friendships. God gives talents and giftings to each of us, and we discover or develop those talents at different times. God doesn’t want our friendship and unity destroyed as we discover our different gifts.

Things to Think About

• What talent or gift does your friend have that you’ve wished for?
• Make a list of the talents and gifts you have that others don’t have.

DAILY ACT OF FRIENDSHIP

Write a note to your friend listing three things she does well.