3 Amazing Qualities to Look for in a Good Friend
Have ever been stuck in the mud?
When I was younger we would go “muddin”.
We’d take cars, jeeps, any kind of vehicle available and go out to a vacant field where we could ride through the muddy terrain.
Although it was a blast, someone always got stuck.
And the thing about mud is….once you’re stuck, you need someone to pull you out.
You can try pressing the accelerator to get yourself out, but that results in spinning your wheels and digging further into the mud.
Life can be like that sometimes, can’t it?
We get stuck in a situation or in a mindset, and rather than reaching out to someone else, Â we start spinning our wheels and digging ourselves deeper.
The beauty of friendships, good friendships, is that we always have someone waiting with a hitch to pull us out when we get stuck.
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Not too long ago, I became overwhelmed by the amount of responsibility I was carrying. In addition to traveling a lot, I had been overloading myself with projects and activities for the kids.
It all became a bit much and I began to recluse.
That’s what I do when I get overwhelmed, I begin to isolate.
I don’t mean taking a step back to rest, I actually close people off and shut down socially.
Definitely not a healthy reaction.
Thank God I have friends who know me well enough to recognize when I’m spiraling.
A dear friend of mine began to recognize my inward retreat.
Rather than hold back from hurting my feelings, she risked the friendship and came to me in concern.
She could see I was overdoing it.
She saw the exhaustion, the anxiousness, and the heaviness that was weighing on me and she expressed those things to me.
What she didn’t know, was that God was speaking these same things to me in detail. He had laid out His concerns for me and began addressing each one in a loving way.
My friend’s words were confirmation of the changes I needed to make.
Since that time, I’ve thought about the kind of friend I want and the kind I want to be.
Join me over at Milk and Honey Faith, where I share 3 amazing qualities that I look for in a good friend!
Thank you for sharing the 3 qualities of friendship. I shared my comments on MIlk and Honey Faith!
Headed over there now!
Such a great post on friendship Alisa! Friendship is one of the best gifts God has given us and so rewarding!
Great post! I have a couple of friends like this, and those friendships are worth more than gold! Love your freebie as well 🙂
Good friends like this are so important. Thanks for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday
I tend to isolate myself too when I’m feeling overwhelmed…not sure if it’s partly because I’m an introvert who thrives on a good balance of alone time or not 🙂 I value friendships that love me enough to notice!
I tend to isolate when I’m overwhelmed, too. I’ll go take a look.
Alisa,
I think God must want to be friends, well at least cyber friends 🙂 You were my linkup partner at both #DancingWithJesus and #GraceandTruth I’m heading over to read your three tips.
~Sherry Stahl
xoxo
I can’t wait to stop by and read yours as well, Sherry! So nice to “meet” you!
With Friendship day approaching fast, I came to read this post which is beautifully written. Isolation–sometimes I create it myself while sometimes friends try it on me. The relation comes back to normal after spending a few days alone.
Great friends are hard to find! Friends who aren’t afraid to direct us back to Jesus even if it hurts. Thanks for sharing on Grace and Truth.
Heading over to Natalie’s right now! I love the imagery of muddin’ and our own “getting stuck”! It’s so good to be back to visit this week, Alisa. My stepping back was needed, but I have missed the encouragement and FRIENDSHIPS!
Hugs,
Lori
I’ve missed you too, Lori!!! So glad you got a much needed break!