A novel concept

A couple weeks ago I think I had a deep revelation. And it hit me really hard. Tears began to well up in my eyes. But I'll come back to that.

Maybe a month ago, I felt like I was supposed to make a lifetime commitment to a couple of my close friends. It was a scary thing for me to do in one sense because I've had a lot of really poor relationships that were not healthy and did not end well, but I felt God leading me to do it and decided to trust Him. I had felt the Lord leading me to read about Jonathan and David. And so I felt him leading me to physically exchange something with these friends. The idea came from the following passage:
1 Samuel 18: 3 & 4--Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

So, I was writing a note to one of them and talking about committing to them for life when it occured to me that I haven't fought with my friends in over a year. Now, to whoever you are reading this, you may be thinking that a year isn't a significant amount of time, but before that my friends and I were having fights like once a week. I'm thankful for the place those friends played in my life, the ways God used them to touch my heart, and what I've learned from them. But they weren't healthy relationships. I'd end up crying myself to sleep many nights, I felt like they didn't understand my heart, I felt like they degraded me at times, and the relationships were built on all the wrong things.

In the past year and a half I've developed healthy friendships with people who are willing to forgive and work through things instead of fighting. In no way am I saying that friendships aren't work, but the night I was writing this note, it occurred to me: FRIENDSHIPS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE HARD. I think that high school drama and college drama and the way society portrays every tv show and movie have had a huge influence on me believing that friendships are constantly hard. Every friendship has it's ups and downs, but I believe committing to pray with people, be honest, and yet speak in love and re-inforcing unconditional love makes for a stronger relationship. So instead of waiting for a friendship to fail since all the others have, I should just keep doing those things.

So, it's a novel concept, but I don't think friendships are supposed to be hard. I think they were designed to be supportive of one another, walk in the things of the Lord together, and just have fun.