A Heart to Heart Connection

March 2012

by Susan Miller

I noticed her come in the door of our Moving On After Moving In classroom at church. She seemed almost afraid to enter a room full of strangers. I knew it took courage and determination to find the parking area, walk into an unfamiliar church campus, find our room, open the door, and then walk in. That’s one of the reasons we have a welcome mat outside our room, and a wreath on the door. It makes it a little – just a little – easier.

After class, she hung around for a while, anxious to get my undivided attention. I sensed by the look in her eyes, she had something on her mind. She shared with me about this being her first move away from home and family, how she left behind long-time childhood friends, how lonely she was, and that she was a new Christian. She said she didn’t even know how to begin to make new friends, since she’d never had to before. “Will you please help me know how to make new friends?” she asked. Wow! I couldn’t wait!

I began to share with my new friend how a relationship with Jesus gives a new and deeper meaning to friendship, and how He is our role model for making friends. “The first and most fundamental friendship in life begins with a heart to heart connection with Jesus,” I said. I then went on to tell her how Jesus “lives out” relationships in the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The examples He set with His disciples, as well as friends and strangers, give us the guidelines for making friends. I had her full attention as I began to share some practical examples of how Jesus demonstrated friend-making with His disciples.

He shared His life openly.
He spent time with them.
He prayed with and for them.
He was committed to them.
He built trust with them.
He accepted them unconditionally.
He encouraged them in well-doing.
He was sensitive to their needs.
He forgave them.

As our conversation continued, I shared that God would bring women into her life through different venues—church, work, social—and this was the kind of friend to look for:

One who is an extension of Jesus, not a substitute for Him.
One who will love you unconditionally and accept you as you are, as she points you to Jesus.
One who will walk with you though thick and thin, as she reminds you that Jesus cares and understands.
One with whom you will feel an awareness of the presence of Jesus by being with her.

…And, I offered some guidelines to look for in pursuing friendships:

Someone you can share joy and sorrow with.
Someone you enjoy spending time with.
Someone you can pray with.
Someone you can share your heart with.
Someone you can trust.
Someone who will respond at a time of need.
Someone who will love you unconditionally.
Someone who will forgive you.

Off she went, with a better understanding of who Jesus is, and better equipped to find the right friend!

Scripture to Remember: Philippians 2:1-5

Question to Consider: Do I have a heart-to-heart connection with my friend, Jesus?

Prayer: Oh Jesus! I want to get to know you and deepen my relationship with you all the more. Show me in your word, and through other women, what a Godly friendship looks like, and help me to find a friend that knows you and loves you. Amen

Thought for the Day: Today I will pursue a Godly friend!