There are some parts about getting older that I don’t really like.
It takes a lot longer to recover from physical activity.
Even though I’ve still got all my hair, a lot more of it is turning gray.
I don’t nearly have as much time to read comic books and play video games as I’d like.
However, there are some parts about getting older that I do enjoy.
I don’t have to do homework, which is great.
I can buy ice cream and eat it whenever I want.
I’m going to have a daughter in two months.
There’s a lot to love about getting older, but one of my favorite parts is the friendships that have stood the test of time.
This past weekend I was on the worship team at church. Even though he attends another church, one of my oldest friends was playing guitar. We started leading worship together when we were 17 and, there we were, 17 years later leading worship again.
It was a sweet moment to share with someone I’ve known since the fourth grade. I’ve been blessed by God to have a number of friendships that can be counted in decades instead of just years. I have friends who have known me since I was a little kid, who have been there through everything in my life. I don’t know what I would have done over the past 17 days without my friends, much less the past 17 years.
As nerds, though, it’s not always easy for us to make friends. I know what it’s like to be a shy nerd, hanging out by himself. Sometimes it seems easier to just stay inside of our shells than to risk reaching out and making a friend. However, we can’t live life like that. We can’t get the most out of what God intended by living alone.
Ecclesiastes 4 says:
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
The Bible is clear that there’s value in making friends and keeping them, and not just acquaintances, but friends who actually know us and will support us in our times of need. Friendships like that won’t just happen, though; we need to be proactive in seeking them out and becoming that kind of friend.
Many of my best friendships started because of shared affinity for the same nerdclinations. A lot of people like Star Wars, Magic: The Gathering and the WWE. We just need to find people with the same interests who will encourage us to better follow Jesus.
We’ll never get to two decades of friendship if we can’t even walk up to someone and say hello.
How did some of your best friendships start?
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