Solid friendships can endure the ups and downs of life, including those seasons in which we have less time for each other. But this is not an excuse for neglect. Even cactus need water from time to time.
To be sure, some seasons of life are just busier than others. We’re spread thin and failure is not an option. We simply cannot do everything and many things have to take the hit.
But there are consequences when we fail in the same area every time. And even the best of friends will eventually drift apart when we don’t continue to invest in each other.
This doesn’t mean things must always stay the same.
How often we get together, the ways in which we connect, and even our topics of conversations and interests are all likely to change from one season to the next.
And when we’ve done the work to build a strong relationship, the friendship can weather all these different changes and actually grow deeper through them.
But we cannot ultimately put the relationship on hold and still expect it to be there later.
Some plants need a lot of water. And others, like cactus, are fairly low maintenance and can go longer periods without. But low maintenance should not be confused with no maintenance. And even cactus will eventually die without water.
Certainly, there’s confidence in having low maintenance friends. And we can focus on other pressing matters without the fear of losing the relationship.
But we must still water our friendships even through the busy and tough seasons of life if we don’t want them to die.
Perhaps this is a quick text or phone call. Or maybe it’s simply praying for them. Taking the time to hold them in our heart before the living God not only blesses them it also deepens our bonds of connection with each other.
Whatever it looks like, remember to water your friendships. Don’t let them dry out and die.
Photo by Tracy Adams on Unsplash
