Sunday, January 31, 2010

Same-Sex Friendships

"My female friends are absolute treasures," says Elsa Kok. "God brought some women into my life who were a lot like me. One woman I met knew a lot about God's Word, and I wanted to connect with her, so I said, 'Can I come over for coffee and I'll bring bagels?' We connected every Thursday morning for three years, and we still meet on the phone at five-thirty every Thursday morning.

"Friendships don't just happen. You have to take the initiative. You have to work at developing the relationship, but those relationships have taught me what real relationships are about. Those friendships have equipped me in ways I could never have been equipped without them. They've taught me communication, how to work through conflict, how to support and encourage, and how to serve. It is worth the effort."

Cindy shares, "I made new friends through the DivorceCare® support group. My friends and I would have a potluck or rent a movie. It was important for me to have female friends. We had an agreement that if anyone was lonely and feeling bad, even if it was three in the morning, none of us would mind any of us calling each other."

As Cindy mentioned, a Christian divorce support recovery group is a great way to meet new friends who understand what you are going through and who need new friends too. Even if your first impression is to avoid that type of group, please give it a chance. Same-sex friendships are an excellent cure for loneliness.

"A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need" (Proverbs 17:17 NLT).

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