Within the span of people who love me is a smaller collection who have some strings attached to their love, but not without cause and only circumstantially. They are sad about my current life’s reality. Not that the first bunch I referred to are happy for me by any means, but they just seem to be accepting things for how they have turned out with a bit more ease. But this other group I’m talking about wish something different for me. And I totally get it.
But here’s what makes their love different and special to me. Despite how they feel about my life right now, they have still shown up for me. They have still helped me. Offered me encouragement. Done kind things for me. They are loving me despite how they feel.
I want to be this kind of friend. The kind who doesn’t have all the right words but shows up anyway. The kind who only can fill a card with “Jesus loves you and so do I”. The kind who offers to go to a meeting simply as an act of coming alongside. The kind who has the courage to say I have no agenda, I have no advice, I honestly can’t speak into this situation with any wisdom or unbias, so I’m just going to sit beside you and hold your hand and pray with you and for you.
I need these kinds of friends. I have these kinds of friends. And I want to be this kind of friend. I want to love even though.
