Monday, September 9, 2013

Protecting Your Friends

Today, a friend asks me to protect her from over-scheduling herself. All morning, I think about a friend's function as protector. 

"Yes! I will protect you! I will help you say 'no' and not ask too much of you!"

Friends should indeed work to keep one another from harm, but I seldom think of friendship like this.

I want to ask my friends this question: How can I help protect you? From what or whom? 

I realize we all need protection--spiritually, physically, emotionally, socially, financially, or in any other way.

I need protection from desserts containing coconut.

I also need protection from trying to micro-manage my children.

I need protection, like my friend, from doing too much. I need protection from discouragement and burn-out in my teaching life. I need protection from afternoon coffee that keeps me up all night.

I need protection from watching too much news and obsessing over it.

I need protection from pride, anger, impatience, and gossip.

I'll stop now.

I love thinking about friends as protectors. 


3 comments:

Raleigh Tillman said...

Yes! Protection from afternoon caffeine. Protection from getting lost in my daydreams -- life is here to be lived!

Sharon said...

My best friend sent this to me! It describes us perfectly. We are so blessed with a 45 year friendship that begin from day one when we met in college Honors English. We have never argued. Not many friends can say that. God provided just what each of us needed. We are thankful! Our families love each other too! God bless you!

LivewithFlair said...

I love that you met in English class!!