Different friends bring out different sides of who we are and pour into us in their own unique ways. And while everyone doesn’t require a large circle of friends, it seems we all still need a patchwork of friendships to touch the many desires of our soul.
For instance, some friends are our go-to guys when we need a good laugh or someone to take our next adventure with, while others might be more intellectual and open our minds to new ways of seeing the world.
Other friends might be deeper and more personal and allow us to share the parts of our heart we’re less likely to share with others, while still others gift us with their affirmations, challenges, or simply lending a helping hand.
We’ve each been gifted with doing certain things well. And this means we’re also uniquely crafted to hold a distinct space to pour into each other’s lives.
It’s not fair to expect one friend to meet all our needs and we allow our souls to remain impoverished when we do.
A patchwork of friends is simply creating a team or village of friends around us – each contributing their own gifts and strengths to bless us.
This patchwork allows us to honor the deep movements and complex needs of our heart, while also expressing gratitude for the unique ways each of our friends shows up for us.
We’re also able to see where the holes are and where we need to add someone else to our team without putting unrealistic expectations on the guys already in our life.
To be fair, there might still be some grief here, as no one encounter with a friend completely fills our tank. We might fully enjoy and value a particular friend while still longing for more.
And this again highlights the depth and complexity of the human soul.
In the end, build your patchwork of friends – each offering you their unique strength needed for you to thrive.
Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash
