Never Too Late

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

“I wish you had told me sooner,” I said as tears filled my eyes. “I would have done something.”

My friend sighed. “I didn’t want to complain.”

“No one would think of you as a complainer,” I said as she went on with explaining her child’s sudden exit from an activity our kids had done together for years. We cried as she told me of the bullying and challenges they’d faced all year. Unbeknownst to me. I listened and offered as much support as I could, letting her know that I loved her and that, after hearing about the situation, I knew she was doing the right thing.

As I hung up the phone, my heart ached. I looked at my husband and began to cry once more. “Why didn’t she tell me what was going on?” I asked.

My husband just shook his head. “Sometimes people keep things to themselves; they don’t want to risk being vulnerable, or they worry how other people will respond,” he offered.

“Yeah,” I replied. “It just hurts.”

As the day went on, I continued to think about my friend and our conversation. I felt so sad and, if I’m honest, guilty for not being the kind of friend she felt she could trust.

But as I continued to pray for her, I gratefully realized that our dialogue, although painful, was also honest and loving. We came together, cried with each other, and finished, still friends, with both of us feeling seen and heard.

The goal of friendship is not simply to always get along but to be able to share honestly, even when it’s difficult. But to do this we must remain humble and gentle. We must be willing to listen and be patient—even making room for people’s faults because of our love for one another. We are to do all we can to keep ourselves united, even if it means having difficult conversations, binding it all together with peace and love. It’s a lofty goal, but with God’s help, one we can attain.

Kendra

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Have you been avoiding a difficult conversation with someone? Spend some time praying for God to give you wisdom, and then reach out to the person.