Good and healthy friendships take time and energy to develop. Imagine if we really had 500 friends? Would we even have time to breathe?! No, it is good to have all sorts of different levels of friends. These can be classified as 1- our most intimate friends, 2- close friends, 3- those we are currently becoming friends with, 4- those that could be possible friends, 5- acquaintances, 6- those we are friendly towards, 7- strangers who we pass by and only share a smile with. While we are to love everyone with the same heart and good will, there are simply some people we are meant to invest more of our time, talents and treasures towards than others. This is important or else we just might be diluting our resources, and not making any good impact on their, or our own, lives.
We have compassion towards all, but a deeper passion for those God has brought closer to us. Again, think ripples here. When a rock falls into a body of water, it is the first, more concentrated rings that get a stronger sense of that interaction. Then it ripples out a little lesser and lesser until it fades into the distance. But if two rocks are dropped into that water slightly apart from each other, then those ripples cause a wonderful interaction that blends with one another. And if we drop another rock, and then another, and then another…are you getting the image? One person was never meant to “do it all” by themselves. We each have a part to play…
<>< Peace, Diane
