Old Friendships, New Life

by Brandon Jubar

I'm a low-maintenance friend.

What I mean by that is if you call me once a year, I still consider us to be good buds. Heck, even once every two years keeps you on the list of active friendships. Much longer than that, however, and your name gets plunked into the "old friends" archive.

Notice that none of these scenarios relegates you to the status of "ex-friend". To be honest, I don't know that I've ever considered anyone a former friend. Once a friend, always a friend, is the way I operate!

Now that's not to say I've never been angry with a friend... 'cuz I most certainly have. Off the top of my head, I can't remember what the hard feelings were about -- which should give you some indication of my ability (or lack thereof) to hold a grudge.

All of these things add up to me being a low-maintenance friend. It doesn't take much to stay in my good graces. I don't know why. It's not like I have some secret formula I can let you in on. And it doesn't mean I'm a better person than anyone else. It's just the way I'm wired.

If you don't fall into the category of "low-maintenance friend"-- or if you know someone "high maintenance" -- perhaps the upcoming Easter season is a good time to tune-up some friendships.

Take some time to look at the relationships in your life. Who are the people on your list of "active friendships"? Do they know you consider them good friends? Even if they do, taking the time to tell them how much they mean to you will only help strengthen those bonds. You don't wait until the car dies before you gas it up, do you?

And what about that list of "old friends"? Why not spend some time tracking them down? With Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and all the other social media apps out there, this is no longer a very difficult process! And I know from personal experience that getting contacted out of the blue from an old friend is a great feeling (as long as they're not trying to sign me up for the latest MLM "business opportunity").

And finally... do you have any people you think of as ex-friends? Contacting someone on this "list" may not be the right thing to do -- or this may not be the right time to do it yet -- but how about saying a prayer for them? Is that too much to ask?

Jesus gave his life for us. He suffered the most humiliating, horrible death imaginable -- and he did it to free us from our sins. If we are trying to live our lives as Jesus taught us, is it too much to ask that we forgive someone whom we used to call "friend"? What gives us the right to hold them bound? If a friend has caused you to suffer, now is the time to let the hurt and anger die. Die to the suffering, and you will truly feel the new life that is coming with Easter and springtime.

Say some prayers, send some emails, make some connections. Now is an excellent time to breathe new life into old friendships. It's what the season is all about.

And in a way, it's what Jesus did for us.

May God's blessings be with you and yours during the upcoming Easter season!

Peace,
~Brandon