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best friends

A dear friend of mine recently had the opportunity to be on a national television news show to promote his new book. The catch: the time slot assigned was Thanksgiving Day.

“What should I do?” he asked.

The opportunity offered prime time exposure and promised to sell thousands of books. The offer was a breakthrough for his career and the publisher who invested heavily in the release of his book. But recording the interview required him to travel to New York, and spend the day away from his extended family and friends who had flown in for the holiday.

Reflecting on the situation I was reminded of a conversation I had with my sweet friend, Betsy, earlier in the week. She shared the story of a friend (we’ll name Emma) who suddenly concluded that anyone who came into her life seemed far more fun and more awesome than her long-time friends. Over the course of several months, Emma decided to trade in all of her old friends who loved God and had been journeying with her for more than a decade for a new set of friends.

Betsy had a difficult conversation with Emma in which she explained, “It’s great that you’re making new friends and redefining yourself—and all these people you’re meeting sounds wildly fun and exciting. But don’t turn your back on your old friends. They’ve been with you through thick and thin for more than a decade! And if you needed a kidney, every one of them of would volunteer. But among your new friends, which of them would give up a kidney?”

“None,” Emma replied.

“Never let go of the people who will give up everything for you.”

Betsy’s question haunted me long after the conversation ended: Which of your friends will give up a kidney for you?

I began reflecting on faces and names. People who I have journeyed through life alongside—both far and near—and found myself once again awestruck by the wonder of friendship. God has designed us to live in vibrant, life-giving relationship with one another and each of our true friends—especially the long-time ones—are meant to be treasured and celebrated.

But sometimes in the midst of life and changes, we can lose sight of our true friends. Our vision gets blurry. We get distracted by newer, wilder, fresher, sillier, more fun, fill-in-the-blank relationships, and forget to nurture and uphold those irreplaceable friendships.

Every so often it’s healthy to ask: Which of your friends will give up a kidney for you?

And #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK by the names and faces flashing through your mind!

And so when my friend asked what he should do on Thanksgiving Day, I advised, “Spend the day with those who will give up everything for you! And see if the national television show will rebook. If not, you’ll still have what’s most important in life.”

How do you discern the friendships most important to you?

*Original photo found here

 

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