Worth the Effort

All moms have demanding lives. It doesn't matter if you are a stay-at-home mom to one or a working mom of five; we are all busy. In-between housework, errands, mealtimes, cooking, jobs, and caring for our families, sometimes friendships get pushed to the back burner. I talk to my husband about everything going on in my life, and he is a wonderful listener and gives great advice. But it's not always the same as talking to a girlfriend. It can be easy to build up acquantainces but still have no friends. Being part of a church, I have relationships with so many people! We talk and mingle after Sunday service, but most of those conversations are superficial. It's hard to get into a real talk with someone in 10 minutes in a crowded church foyer. I've realized that friendships require work - they require time and attention to grow. They also require making yourself vulnerable: which can be very difficult for all of us that want to be perfect.

I'm sharing this because I was recently reminded of how wonderful it is to have Christian girlfriends. Last month I had a really difficult experience that I wasn't sure how to process. Emotionally, I was all over the place. My husband was so supportive and loving, but he handled the experience very differently than I did. I didn't want to talk to anybody else about it, but then God and my husband were both gently saying to me that I should. About a week later, I was able to share my experience with some girlfriends. They listened, they validated my feelings (all of them!), and they gave me godly advice. I even found out that two friends had been through the same thing, and the understanding they had was so helpful. I had been carrying this secret burden around for a week, and through sharing it with close friends, crying with them, and being supported by them, I was able to feel more at peace. I am so thankful to God for placing these women in my life who I can have that kind of relationship with.

What about you? Have you put friendships on the back burner? Maybe it's time to put a little work into building up those relationships. The rewards are worth the effort!