Good Friends Are Like Good Ranch

Who is ready for the end of the semester because I definitely know who I am! This past semester has flown by and a lot has changed and a lot has stayed the same. One constant I have tried to deal with is that not everyone is going to be your friend forever and not everyone is going to be the same person you once knew. This is honestly a hard pill to swallow for me because so many times I was told growing up that the friends you make now will be your friends for life... but do you really want these people to be your friends for life? Take a good look at the people you surround yourself with right now, do they mirror who you want supporting you the rest of your life? My friends right now that I have are amazing and I wouldn't trade them for the world, but from the outside looking in I sometimes question do other people see Jesus as my friend and not just them. 

Right now in this season of Lent I gave up ice cream and for those who know me know how much I crave ice cream on the daily. However, I realized this season that I have never craved Jesus like I crave ice cream and that hit me like a ton of bricks. Your friends that you have around you should be those that support you in your walk with Christ and drive you to crave more and more of the Lord. I think of the wise man Solomon who wrote the book of Proverbs in this situation because one verse, Proverbs 17:17, describes so beautifully what one should see in their friends. "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity", everyone has friends but there is also those close friends who you know you could call in the middle of the night and they would be there within five minutes. These are the kind of people I want. These are the people that Jesus wanted around Him and we ought to follow His lead because times of adversity will come and everyone wants a good friend to be there for them. 

All people are looking for in this world is love. It's a sad and grueling experience to live on earth and some days people just need a friend, so be the friend that might not have been there for you when you needed something, be the person that Jesus would want you to be. If you don't know what to do in any kind of situation always lead with love so that way everyone can truly see Jesus through you because this is what He would do. Jesus doesn't judge for your past, Jesus doesn't make you feel ashamed, He loves you despite all of your flaws and imperfections just like a best friend does on earth. Now they might not always be perfect but neither is ranch, that's why when you find a good version of either you stick with it for years to come. 

May the peace and love of God be with you always,

Leah Carpenter