Friendship Pow Wow

As Christians, we all know the importance of not allowing our feelings to rule our lives. We know the dangers of that. But it is also dangerous (and foolish) to deny the existence of feelings. Every person, and every church, seems to lean too heavily to one side or the other. My church tends to downplay feelings and see them as a weakness. But balance here, as in all of life, is important. God made us, and He gave us feelings. He uses our feelings to teach us about Him, about ourselves, and about the world around us. We can bless others by sharing our feelings. (We can also be a pain in the neck by sharing our feelings, but we won't talk about that.) I've been feeling frustrated and hurt by friendship woes, so last night, I met some friends at a coffee shop, and for 2.5 hours, we talked, discussed, and advised one another on the relationships that most confuse, befuddle, and stupefy us. We agreed that it is sometimes best to take a break from particularly puzzling friendships for a while and enjoy some quality time with trusted bosom buddies. Have fun during your break. Stretch yourself and do something new. Reconnect with friends from the past. Go sky diving. Read Don Quijote. Learn a new language. Break out of your routine, get some perspective, see if you and your friend are still on the same page . . . or even in the same book. You'll come away with much clarity. I promise.