Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat. (Mother Teresa)
‘Now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.’ (I Corinthians 13:13)
God creates us as relational beings and for that, we are made for relationships. One of the greatest relationships we can have on this earth is friendship. Friendship can be exciting yet at times painful, exhausting. But it can also open up new possibilities, new adventures. We live deprived lives if we live without friends.
I am truly blessed with many close friends whom I can fall back anytime. They have been my ‘pillars’ especially during my down times in the past three years. There are times when my words or actions are misunderstood, but we stay with it when they happened. There is no perfection in any friendships. If our goal in life is to stay safe, then it is difficult to develop any meaningful friendships. Friendships demand that you leave your comfort zone and confront an unknown wilderness.
It is ironical that most married couples are not even ‘friend’ to each other. May be ‘familiarity’ breeds contempt. ‘Friendliness’ is undeniably lacking in some marital relationships. It is the art of appreciating others more than you appreciate yourself. It is really an attitude. More and more couples are not having meaningful communication with one another. It seems that the longer couples are together, the easier it is not only to see each other's flaws, but to mercilessly criticize them. This eventually leads to short tempers, less tolerance, minimal patience, and a lack of marital bliss.
We tend to be less ’polite’ and more ‘critical’ when we communicate with our spouses than to our friends. Instead of choosing words that build up, we become each other’s worst critics. Words have the power to build up or tear down in any relationship. Unfortunately, respect and admiration, the two powerful tools, are often forgotten in marriage over time. As for me, being a woman, I need to constantly remind myself to control my tongues and asked God to convict my heart when critical thoughts crept into my mind, avoid the temptation to say them out loud. Also, when I tell myself that how imperfect I am, it becomes easier for me to accommodate the other person’s annoying quirks and little habits.
‘Now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.’ (I Corinthians 13:13)
God creates us as relational beings and for that, we are made for relationships. One of the greatest relationships we can have on this earth is friendship. Friendship can be exciting yet at times painful, exhausting. But it can also open up new possibilities, new adventures. We live deprived lives if we live without friends.
I am truly blessed with many close friends whom I can fall back anytime. They have been my ‘pillars’ especially during my down times in the past three years. There are times when my words or actions are misunderstood, but we stay with it when they happened. There is no perfection in any friendships. If our goal in life is to stay safe, then it is difficult to develop any meaningful friendships. Friendships demand that you leave your comfort zone and confront an unknown wilderness.
It is ironical that most married couples are not even ‘friend’ to each other. May be ‘familiarity’ breeds contempt. ‘Friendliness’ is undeniably lacking in some marital relationships. It is the art of appreciating others more than you appreciate yourself. It is really an attitude. More and more couples are not having meaningful communication with one another. It seems that the longer couples are together, the easier it is not only to see each other's flaws, but to mercilessly criticize them. This eventually leads to short tempers, less tolerance, minimal patience, and a lack of marital bliss.
We tend to be less ’polite’ and more ‘critical’ when we communicate with our spouses than to our friends. Instead of choosing words that build up, we become each other’s worst critics. Words have the power to build up or tear down in any relationship. Unfortunately, respect and admiration, the two powerful tools, are often forgotten in marriage over time. As for me, being a woman, I need to constantly remind myself to control my tongues and asked God to convict my heart when critical thoughts crept into my mind, avoid the temptation to say them out loud. Also, when I tell myself that how imperfect I am, it becomes easier for me to accommodate the other person’s annoying quirks and little habits.
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