Unlikely
Friendships
By
Susan Klein
“Two
are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; if one
falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no
one to help him up!”
Ecclesiastes
4:9,10 (NIV)
In the Disney film Up,
a widower named Carl is not looking to make new friends. In fact, what he’s
really looking for is solitude to grieve the loss of his wife. Along comes
8-year-old Russell, a kindhearted, overeager Wilderness Explorer. He talks
incessantly and doesn’t understand the meaning of “go away!” And then there’s
Dug, the insecure talking dog who hides under the porch, but really just wants
to be loved. Not your typical Three Musketeers, yet, this mismatched trio sets
out on an unexpected adventure that draws them into a unique and tender
friendship.
Scripture reinforces this concept of unlikely friendships. We
meet Naomi, a bitter old Jewish woman who wants to be left alone in her misery.
She ends up befriending Ruth, her young Moabitess daughter-in-law, with whom
she has nothing in common except the loss of their respective husbands. And
let’s not forget Jonathan, royal son of King Saul who befriends David, a mere
shepherd boy (who is later pursued by Saul as an enemy). Sometimes, the most
enriching relationships come from the most unlikely places.
We often tend to thrive on relationships. But we also tend to
flock to our own kind. As a young mom, most of my friends were other young moms
with children similar in age to my own. Now an empty-nester, I tend to engage
other empty-nesters. But a few of my most endearing friendships have been with
people not like me. God has used the most unlikely circumstances to introduce
new friends into my life. For example, I’ve tutored some adorable inner-city
boys, as well as an Iranian grandmother who speaks little English, all of which
have now become my friends. I met a 90-year-old pastor online whom I’ve
developed a very dear friendship with. I don’t particularly have a lot in
common with any of them, but I can’t imagine all I’d have missed out on had God
not intersected our lives in such unexpected places.
What about you? Are the majority of your friendships with people
just like you? Might God be placing others in your path who look very different
from you whom He might want you to build friendships with? Don’t limit
yourself. Be willing to open the door to an otherwise “unlikely friendship,”
and see what amazing things God will do!
GOING DEEPER:
1.
Take stock of your current friendships. Ask God to provide opportunities to
meet new people. Perhaps an elderly shut-in, a new mom, or a college student
from out of town would enjoy your befriending.
FURTHER READING:
