Friends To Count On

Friends to Count On

Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat—refreshing!

My dad got a new job when I was in elementary school. As soon as he finished his training, we moved from a city of forests and hockey to one with farmland and fewer trees. The house I had lived in since birth was situated on the edge of town, but I quickly fell in love with the location of our new rental home, positioned just two blocks off of the main street.

I spent the summer riding my bike up and down the streets around our house, memorizing their names: Sibley, Marshall, Holcombe. It wasn’t long before my explorations led to finding kids around the same age who lived close by. Lisa was kitty-corner from our house, Rachel was across the street, and Lauren and Erin were a block and a half away.

I missed my old friends, but these new friends made me feel less alone. As we played in the giant lilac bush in my backyard or watched movies in the coolness of a friend’s basement, I stopped worrying about entering a new school and focused on getting to know the neighbor kids.

One day, we rode our bikes down to Handi Stop, a local gas station, to purchase slushy drinks. We raced back to Lauren and Erin’s house and scampered up to an overheated attic, where we dared each other to endure the sweltering heat as long as we could with only our icy drinks to alleviate the burn. That lasted until their mom realized what we were doing, kindly scolded us, and made us come down to the main level.

In the same way that those brain-freeze-inducing slushies were a welcome relief from the heat, Proverbs tells us that reliable friends also bring refreshment to our souls. Even after I started school in the fall—and despite not being in class with any of the neighborhood girls—I still felt comfortable, knowing that those friends would be there after school, ready to play. As the new girl, the reliability of their friendship was a gift from God when I needed it most.

— Kristin

— Today’s Act of Friendship —

Take the time to thank a friend who is reliable.