FRIENDSHIP

MareBearHitstheRoad Blogger - April 16, 2010 - Day 32 - As I approach the 30 day countdown, I have been quite reflective of my life here in Oregon and the friendships won and lost along the way.  Fortunately, there is very little in the loss column, and an abundance in the won column, in spite of myself.  There is an expression out there that goes something like "you can count yourself blessed if in your lifetime you have had one true and wonderful friend." But how often in life have we, with very cavalier hearts, let a dear friend or friends drift out of our lives never to be seen or heard of again. So it seems fitting that as I begin to share time and spread myself thing to spend time with all those that I count not just as friends, but true blessings and pebbles to my ripple.

On the intro to my blog is the popular expression "Christ's Heart, My Home". What does that mean to you? To me it means that I have not just invited myself in to His world but Him into mine. I have chosen to take Christ and move Him from the foyer of my heart and into the whole house. In 2003, our churches Women's Ministry leader, counselor and pastor's wife lead a women's retreat called "Rooms of the Heart".  While it would take far to long to go into an in depth detail of this Life Changing, Faith Changing event, I will try to share briefly how this ties into Friendship.

So let me ask you, have you invited Jesus into your heart and then left Him standing in the Foyer? Not inviting Him into the Living Room, Kitchen, Bedroom etc - of your heart and faith? Not only is it a very difficult transition to make but it is also even more difficult to admit that He is not in every area of your daily living. Can we truly know Christ if we do not open up every room in the house and share with Him all the great and good things, but also the icky, yucky stuff that usually gets trapped in a closet, the basement or a damp and dark attic? And the irony - He already knows all that stuff so why would we just leave Him hangin in the foyer?

When we open our hearts and allow intimacy with God to happen, we invite a life long Friendship that has no boundaries, no conditions, no limitations; is as vast as the universe and better than all the possible blessings you can imagine or hope for!  Is it a friendship that you save for special occasions like Christmas and Easter rather than everyday living? Or, do you bounce out of bed each day hopeful for all that is in store for you from the Best Friend you will ever have?  When Breiter Futures Foundation was just a lump of clay on the wheel (which is still that, although I am starting to see a shape begin to form) I loved how God, my best friend forever was in the details and what an incredible sense of humor He has. BFF International dba Breiter Futures Foundation has the same initials and is inspired by an amazing young woman who works tirelessly with At-Risk Youth struggling not just with the times, peer pressures, broken families and gang members but also loss of Faith, Hope and Love.

Friendship is such an important part of building bridges of change, with people, within the community and around the globe.  As I begin the arduous task of making certain that all of my friends understand the impact they have had on my life, it is equally important that they know the level of respect and appreciation I have for each of them, even though I haven't always been successful at that. So just as I practice friendship with God, so too should I put as  much investment into friends of the earthly kind.  True love and friendship come out of the core principals of my faith. Faith, Hope and Love, the greatest of these is Love. BFF International is and will remain committed to that message, that promise of true Friendship - on a level playing field and without condition just as GOD intended.

I am grateful that I have learned the value of true friendship and pray always that I not take them for granted, as I have in the past. Moving forward, I am so happy that there are forums like Facebook where we can do just that! Thank you friends...none of this would be possible without your love, support and encouragement. And today this message is to honor you and your sacrifices for me, now, in the past and in the days to come. I love you and pray my actions meet my words!

There are too many pebbles to count that have rippled my life over the span of 49 years, and when that wave hits the shore...watch out!

Blessings,

marebear