cyberspace junkyard

Old friends

Just in the last few days, I've been able to catch up with three of my oldest and dearest friends. Funnily enough, I met them all during my days with ZeroG - a Christian Performing Arts non-profit organisation that produced musicals, ran drama and acapella singing groups and did some media work around 1997 - 1999. Some of the best times of my life, they were.

People come and go all the time... there are some periods in your life when a particular person comes through for you and you know that God has had a hand in bringing them into your life at a certain time for a certain purpose. There are times when you have the opportunity to be there for someone else, and for a short while, you're able to give them the support and love that they need.

There are some friends, though, who are just comfortable. You meet them and instantly feel like you've known them forever. You might not see them very often, but when you do, it's like not a day has gone by. It's strange that I happened to renew the old bonds with them all within days of each other, and I've been mulling over my friendships with them ever since.

I only see them individually once a month or so now. Gone are the days, when we'd hang out 3-4 times a week and chat til all hours of the morning. Two of the three are the only ones I've ever actually called my best friend, and the third is the same in spirit even if she never got that "title" per se. It's never made a difference that one of them is a guy or that at 23, I'm the youngest of the lot, and the oldest is six years older then me, with the other two falling in between. In fact, the three have ties to each other that have nothing to with the fact that they are my close friends, which is an even greater blessing!

They are my "drop everything" friends - I might not see them every day, but they're the ones who would literally drop everything to be by my side if I needed them. It might sound like a huge burden to bear for each other, but the most encouraging thing about it is there is absolutely no pressure or expectation there. We don't do these things because we have to but because we want to. We all have our own lives. In fact, our circles very rarely cross unless we make a conscious effort to meet up. Busy people might do a lot of things but they're rarely tied down to much. I guess in a way then, these friends are my anchors - they keep me sane when I'm in danger of drifting off, they keep me accountable when I'm struggling in my faith and they are my reality check when I'm at my peak.

I think that the thing which characterises my friendships with them is the ability to mutually understand each other. We're all different - but we still have that innate sense of being able to talk about anything without fear of judgement, persecution or prejudice. We're able to rebuke one another in love, and know that it's coming from a friend whose only interest is in encouraging us to be more and more godly. We're able to muck around, joke, hang out, sing and dance together. We comfort, advise and support each other. We sit around analysing everything to death and then help each other shrug it all off and refocus on Christ.

To hope without expecting
To cherish without possessing
To love because God first loved us