When we were young, proximity made making friends easy. When we became a grown-up, things change. We had more responsibilities, less time, and less opportunity to meet others. Making new friends doesn't have to be hard however it will take some effort on your part. Today we are here to encourage you and equip you to find your squad.
Have you ever seen the show Parks and Recreation? It’s a TV comedy that ran from April of 2009 to February of 2015. It stars Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, a perky, mid-level bureaucrat in the Parks Department of Pawnee, Indiana. She is one of the quirkiest characters on television. She lives life wholeheartedly and inspires us to embrace the every day with passion and purpose.
On episode 32 of the podcast called making time for friends, Noelle shared with us how beneficial it is to get away with friends who love Jesus. In fact, she said it was one of the most spiritual things you can do. We used to think that friendships should form organically and would grow if they were meant to, but I was wrong. While a handle of relationships do form naturally, longevity and depth in a relationship are developed by intention.
Have you ever been so burned by a childhood friend that it left you scarred and wounded, and now it is affecting your present friendships? Many of us have. What has happened to us in our childhood friendships can affect our current friendships. It can make us fearful of getting close to others and it can cause us to become distrusting and anxious about their approval.
But we don’t have to stay hurt or bound by our past experiences. There is healing available in God’s Word and His truth that He wants to speak to our hearts. Noelle is here today to walk us through what childhood friendship trauma is and what we can do about it.
Making time for friends is important! The most rewarding friendships are the ones we are intentional about nurturing. as we mentioned in Episode 32, we can do this by participating in a book club, collaborating on a project or volunteering together, or even connecting with each other with technology such as FaceTime, Skype, or Voxer. That’s great but don’t neglect celebrations! They are important too!
