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A friendship investment takes time and effort, but the rewards can last a lifetime. The first step is to look beyond ourselves and look to others.
Personal Fact:
My friend Rob and I have served together on three continents.
Fun Fact:
The Hebrew word for friend is merea (may-ray’-ah) and it means companion. (http://biblehub.com/hebrew/4828.htm)
Friendship Investment:
I’m an only child, the oldest grandchild, and I did not grow up in a big neighborhood. So I had to be more intentional about relationships growing up. I was not great at it, but I’m thankful to Ryan Kirby and Neal Snider for being my friends growing up. They encouraged me and helped me grow.
I enjoyed having Neil and Ryan come over and getting to go over to their houses. Spending time with them and their families, I got to see families different than my own.
I owe a big debt to Ryan because he was my best friend all the way through high school. Ryan encouraged me to become a part of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, in junior high. I was a part of that organization all they way through college. It helped me to grow and connected me with people along the way. I was able to make good friends in high school and college thanks to FCA.
I played soccer growing up and enjoyed it. I knew I wanted to play in high school. Again, Ryan invested in our friendship and was there to encourage me. I’m not a natural athlete, but I enjoy playing and enjoy being a part of the team. Ryan and I ran together to try and get in shape for the team in 9th grade. He and I rode together to practices through high school. We were both part of the tri-captain group our senior year. So we had time to invest in our friendship.
Ryan being there for me and me for him was great. We were sounding boards and gave advice. We were there to listen to each other and encourage each other. I feel very blessed for having him as a friend for so many years. We really didn’t intentionally invest in our friendship, but it happened anyway and I’m thankful.
In college, I became friends with Rob Mancuso. Rob was a year ahead of me and he pulled me and several others into a guys Bible study. That started our friendship as he invested time in me. His musical tastes help expand mine. I enjoyed hanging out with him, his now wife, Amy, and several other friends. In those pre-cell phone days, my parents knew to call Rob’s house before they called my room.
Rob & Amy live in a different state, but I still try to get up and visit them every other year. I try to keep in touch via phone and social media, but I’m not the best at it. He and I have gone on several mission trips together and that has helped to bond us. I’m so grateful for our friendship. He has invested in my life and helped me in some rough times.
Rob is always there with a listening ear and great advice. I know that he spends time praying and lifting up my requests. I do my best to do the same for him and his family. Because of my friendship with Rob, I was able to introduce him to a good friend of mine, Nathan Heafner.
He and Nathan have a close friendship. Their friendship is closer than Nathan and I have or Rob and I have, but that is fine. They have more in common, being married & having kids. I’m happy to have played a part in building that friendship. When we invest in each other, we start to put the needs of the other person first. That often means that you are helping them grow and find more friends.
Nathan and I became friends because of a church Iron Man group. It is a group of guys who get together to hold each other accountable, encourage each other and offer advice. If you have heard of mastermind groups, it is like that, but with the core being faith in Christ.
Nathan and I have invested in each other for years. We have spent time praying for each other and our families. We have worked hand in hand on projects and on mission trips. He gets me, and knows when I need a word of encouragement. He has blessed me by helping me with work on my house. I it is work that I don’t have the tools or skills for. I’ve been blessed to pray for and encourage him, as he and his wife have been the parents for exchange students and foster parents for many kids. A friendship investment requires time and effort spend together, but it is a blessing for both people.
I have grown in my ability to make friends and work well with others. I know that I’m not the most outgoing of guys, but I appreciate friendships. I’m getting better at investing in lighter friendships, but I’m still challenged in making and keeping close friends. It is still an effort to pull out of myself and invest the effort in to being a great friend.
Sure, friendships happen sometimes in seemingly random ways. Sometimes, it seems like they just fall into place and we have so much in common that it is easy. But like any relationship, friendship requires an investment of time, commitment and effort. It’s silly that something that seems so obvious took me this long to figure this out. Call me a slow learner, I don’t mind.
What I Learned Yesterday:
So what have I learned? Our lives are so much richer when we make the friendship investment. We are told that in an abundance of counselors there is much wisdom. Our friends can step in and help us see around roadblocks that dominate our vision. There is also wisdom in the saying that, when two fall they can pick each other up. Friendship is about picking each other up in the hard times. Life is hard and it is not meant to be lived alone. We have to take the time to make the friendship investment. That investment can literally save lives, our own and others!
I’m Geoff Gentry and this has been Stuff I Learned Yesterday.
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