Real Friendship: Part 3

“Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.”
- Tennessee Williams

“True friends are the ones who never leave your heart, even if they leave your life for awhile. Even after years apart, you pick up with them right where you left off, and even if they die they're never dead in your heart.” - Anonymous

“The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Friendship is something that is obviously important to everyone. Without friends, we begin to wither inside. We innately desire to share our experience with others, what Bill Hybels calls fellowship; "doing life together." So how do you know if someone is really your friend? I suspect it is different for each person. For me, it is involves four things:

1. Commitment/loyalty to the friendship.
2. Authentic sharing of how we are really doing.
3. Shared experiences.
4. Genuine caring for each other's welfare.

I was going to say chemistry too, but that is so subjective. It is important though, perhaps it is more of a prerequisite. Sometimes you meet someone and you just know that you'd like to be friends with them. So anyway, that's my list. What's on yours? By the way, the picture is of my son Riker and his good friend Calvin.

May Light increase!