Friends. Some Random Thoughts.

   
     Recently I have had to say good-bye to some dear friends of mine who are graduating this year.  One good-bye was said knowing that we may never meet again. Although I have only known Rae and Elizabeth three or four months this was the hardest and first true good-bye I have ever had to say. I got to wondering why it was so hard to say goodbye especially since I hadn't known either of them very long. One revelation I stumbled upon is that the reason I was having such a hard time is because I had opened my whole heart to both of these beautiful young ladies. There was never a hesitation on either side in our friendship and that meant it grew quickly. Friendships are incredibly dangerous. They can hurt and good-byes are seemingly inevitable. But they are oh so worth it! I remember sitting outside one of my Mars Hill rooms with Rae. We hadn't really ever talked before but I laughed so hard throughout the conversation. Elizabeth and I have had some incredibly serious and some incredibly goofy conversations and together (with two others) we ran through a crazy maze in South Dakota. It was dark and we were all just running around trying to get to each of the stations and then to the exit. It took us a whole hour and we only had to dive under one fence ;). Oh geeze am I going to miss them.
      One of my favorite analogies when talking about friends is a puzzle. Now this puzzle is your heart and each person represents a puzzle piece. They are all different sizes and shapes depending on how they impact you life. Until you die your puzzle will never be completed. Everyone who has an impact on you becomes part of that puzzle. Here's the thing. When someone is no longer part of your life their puzzle piece doesn't go away. The things they said to you, the lessons they taught you will always be there. Of course now a days it is so much easier keeping up with people long distance. What with cell phones, texts, email, Facebook, Skype etc. Sometimes you keep up with someone and then your paths meet once more other times you must learn to let them go. There is that phrase "if you love something you'll let it go" and sometimes you have to do that with friends. That doesn't undermine all the awesome times you had together and what not but good-byes are a part of life. 
    Not convince? Well, think about it you only have so much time and energy. You can't have a hundred friends because some of them will feel left you and you will feel exhausted. (Yes even you extroverts) Saying good-bye allows more people to come into your life. Now don't think I am saying that you should say good-bye so you can have new friends. No, good-byes will happen naturally and you should let them. This is meant as encouragement and comfort for when they do happen. It doesn't make them easier in the moment but just remember for every good-bye you will feel more comfortable with someone else coming into your life.
      One last thing. God is like a director, he knows exactly when a character/person needs to enter and exit the stage of your life. He puts them there to fit what you need then, when the time is right, he calls them off stage.