Friendships

The following is something an on-line friend shared in a forum on the discussion of friendships. We had been discussing whether any of us have close friends or not. I came to the conclusion that most women have a hard time having close friends because they had been hurt in the past by "friends". I don't understand why, but it seems that women have either an extremely close friend or just "friends".

I thought my friend (who moved away) and I would be best friends forever.
We matured so much over the years, shared extremely intimate details of our lives with each other, and shared many hardships together. You would think that would bind us for life. well...it didn't.
It just goes to show you, that the one true friend we have that will NEVER leave, and I mean NEVER!, is JESUS CHRIST!
God placed wome/people/friends in our lives at certain points. perhaps to teach us a lesson, perhaps to prepare us for something else, perhaps just because he saw a need there that we hadn't.
what I've learned through my separation of friendships, is that it is truly a blessing to forgive them. no matter what happened.
I held a grudge for years, and all it got me was heartache. now that i have forgiven her, i am at peace with the whole situation.

I guess I needed to hear that sometimes my friends are placed in my life for a reason. I can't dwell on the fact that I don't have a close friend. I need to appreciate and be thankful for every friend I do have. God has placed each one (past, present or future) in my life either because I needed them, or because they needed me.

So, thank you to all my friends. Thank you for being there when I needed you. Thank you for praying for me even when I didn't know you were. Thank you teaching me things. Thank you for letting me be a part of your life. If you are a friend who I don't see very often anymore or don't talk with, please know that I still think about you and thank God for making you a part of my life. If you are a friend who parted ways because of a hurt done to you and/or me, please know that I forgive you and want only the best for you.

Love your friends. Let them know you love them. Cherish them and pray for them.