relationships

[Yeshualives]

I am struggling with relationships. When someone you get to know at church says they love you, I thought that meant being close friends. However, lately I've felt a burden to this person because they are always busy. I found out through a woman pastoral assistant at the church that they had someone staying with them and therefore wouldn't be able to meet up with me for a week or so, and this assistant said if I needed to meet up she would be willing. While this may have been well-meaning, I felt awkward and embarrassed being told in this way about someone who I thought was meant to be a friend, and who lives round the corner, so I thought she would tell me herself.

I've been at this church for a while now and it just seems that I've found relationships there awkward. I am now coming to the conclusion that I don't fit in. Most people are either young and single, or older and married - whereas I've been separated for many years and am heading towards divorce.

Does anyone else struggle with making friends and feeling that they fit in?

 

[Br. Bear]

Greetings Yeshualives,

Friendship is a lifelong and ongoing thing that overcomes all obstacles that might arise.

Jesus has shown us much about friendship. You are asking about relationship with in the Church, and this is usually known as fellowship, which I suppose is the Christain version of friendship. We are instructed over and again how to go about loving one another, and patience is a key element to this.

We all like the answers up front, but forget that answers require questions, which must come first. Seek the Lord and desire after Him, to love him in your love for others.

The friendship you seek is true friendship, and like most things of value in life, it is only worth as much as you put into it, meaning that with perseverance and forgiveness, and forbearing one another in love, it will grow into something more valuable than you imagined possible.

I am reminded of love and friendship in this...
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" Jesus (John 15:13)

You do fit in, so give of the love He has given you and you might find that there are many there who might feel as you do now, and would appreciate the love you show them.

Bless you ...><>

Br. Bear

 

[HeLovesYou]

Great post Mr. Bear, thanks for the wonderful counsel my dear brother. True friendships take years to develop in my estimation. And they must be forged with LOTS of love and forgiveness.

Love in Christ,

Elliot