The current season of waiting I am in has had me contemplating. I have been thinking about the people I have in my life. This season has taught me a lot about who I have around me. Especially, in times when I have needed a friend. People who I thought would be by my side through this season have faded away.

Nevertheless, God knew what my deepest desire was and He has brought people into my life to love and support me. When I thought there was no-one around, someone has stepped in at the right time. People who I thought wouldn’t be interested have constantly had my best interest at heart.

It has been a painful process of letting go of old friendships. I feel like I am grieving even though these people are still around. It feels like I’ve lost someone dear to me and it hurts. Deeply.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 sums up the current season I am living through:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

I realise what may be good news for me, is not always good news for someone else. It’s to be expected. If a friend has been in a period of waiting for something to happen, then my good news may seem like salt in their mouth.

Maybe they are waiting for the right person to come along, or the right job opportunity. If someone has been waiting for something for so long and it bypasses them only to be given to someone else, it creates resentment.

I have realised Jesus experienced this rejection as He was going through His ministry. In Mark Chapter 6, verse 1-6, Jesus went back to His hometown, Nazareth, to be amongst His friends and family to tell the Good News. The Good News He wanted to share with His people was rejected though. These people should have been the very friends who should have stood by Him.

Jesus said to them, “Prophets are respected everywhere except in their own hometown and by their relatives and their family.”  

Mark 6:4

Instead, His news was greeted with open arms by strangers who wanted to be part of His good news. People who wanted to support Him.

Looking back on the friendships which have faded, I feel a sense of trust has been misplaced. This is now causing me to view every friendship I have with a question mark.

Will that person eventually let me down if I have them in my life?

The answer is most probably, “yes”. People do let each other down. Friends let each other down. This is life.

We go through different seasons in our lives of ups and downs, and it’s the same with the seasons of friendships. Someone who can be a friend for a decade may not be around to weather the next part of life with you. And this is ok.

A friendship is like a flower. Sometimes it blooms, but sometimes it dies depending on the season. Click To Tweet

We shouldn’t let our past experience of friendships deter us from making new ones though. Although it has been a painful process of seeing people fade away, it’s also been a beautiful process where new friendships have been created.

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 

Ecclesiastes 3:6

Friendships are not about how long you’ve known each other, but how you support each other through different seasons of life. Some friends are made for one season, but may not be able to see you through to the next.

Friendships are not about how long you've known each other, but how you support each other through different seasons of life. Click To Tweet