Faithfulness in friendship, even in the most difficult times
This day has become etched in my mind. It was a cooler spring day in March. I was at work and received a text from my husband: “Do you have lunch plans?” Not an unusual text to receive, yet I could sense something was off. We arranged the time and place. He was waiting for me in the corner of the restaurant, ready to hand me the letter he had received only hours before.
I couldn’t believe what I was reading. How can this be happening? This makes absolutely no sense. With the stroke of a pen, our world was turned upside down. What ensued over a period of many months was a painful and disorientating journey of loss and confusion, not only for us, but for the congregation we had loved and had served for many years.
It’s easy to believe in the reliability and trustworthiness of God following through on his promises when times are good. But what about in those harder unexpected times?
God’s great faithfulness
During that unplanned season of hardship and uncertainty, we experienced the faithfulness of God in amazing ways and saw the fruit of faithfulness grown and stretched in our lives.
We especially found hope and comfort in God’s faithfulness, so beautifully expressed in the middle of lament: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).
Psalms 91:4 offers a profound metaphor of comfort and reassurance that is protective in nature. “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings your will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”
We were in awe when just the right passage of Scripture would start our day, along with the many timely phone calls, texts, or emails that would come at just the right moment to offer a word of encouragement. God was demonstrating his faithfulness through his Word and through his followers as evidenced by the work of the Holy Spirit.
“Level four” friendships
Webster’s Dictionary defines “faithful” as being “steadfast in affection or allegiance.” In other words, a faithful person is loyal, reliable, and trustworthy. We were blessed to be carried through that season by faithful friends who weren’t afraid of the mess – the “level four friends” as described by Jerry and Mary White in their book, Friends and Friendship. Level four friends are “those few people to whom we pour out our souls, sharing our deepest feelings and hopes.”
When we talk about levels of friendship as part of resiliency with our guests at Kerith Retreats, they often admit they lack level four friends in their lives. Their reasons are varied due to the nature of their work and past experiences, and we understand that as well as anyone.
Who are your level four friends – those you can openly and honestly confide in, and who will faithfully support, encourage, and sharpen you? If you have them, thank the Lord for them. If you are having trouble identifying those kinds of friends in your life, make that an urgent matter of prayer and then expectantly trust our faithful God to provide such faithful friends.
Roxy Meyers is one of the program directors at the Alberta Kerith Retreats location with her husband, Doug. For more information about our retreats, visit KerithRetreats.ca.