Can we have to many "Best Friends"

I have been thinking about the men in my life that have had a profound effect on me. In a recent discussion we were talking about best friends and just friendship in general. From that discussion and many more I have come to understand that we put so many limits on our hearts. From an early age we are taught that if we have just one best friend in our lives we are lucky. What's up with that? Talk about limits, that statement surely limits how many best friends and connections we let into our lives. And once the goal is achieved we start thinking we have arrived and give no more thought into building best friend relationships with others.

How tragic to block out meaningful relationships with others simply because that space seems to be taken. The same principle applies with our hearts. We place guards around our hearts to protect it from hurt and from caring for to many people at once. Do we not understand the capacity of the human heart. THERE ARE NO LIMITS ON HOW MANY PEOPLE WE CAN LOVE OR HOW DEEPLY WE CAN LOVE THEM. The only limits are the ones we place there. If we truly understand Christlike love and look to him for the standard we start to understand that we have an unlimited capacity to love. We have the ability to love as many as we want and love them as deeply as we desire. That is true Christlike love. We cannot walk through live with limits and with fears of being hurt or rejected. Hurt and rejection are a part of life, but the true joys come when we reach out and feel the love and joy that can come from taking the guards off our hearts. Take down the walls and start to experience life.

We are taught that there are really only two things we can take with us when we die. One is our knowledge and the other one is our relationships that we have formed and cultivated. How sad it is to see lonely people simply because they were afraid of being hurt.

So for me I will continue looking for best friends. I have several and would not trade one of them in for anything. Each one is special to me and I have received different gifts from each one. Each friendship has brought me joy in many different ways. Some of my friends are ones that you work at to build the friendship and others are the type that the instant you meet them you are best friends. Each type has taught me valuable lessons that have enriched my life and given me direction and purpose. I can go months and months without any communication from most of my friends, but the moment we connect it is like we never were apart. Some need more contact then others. Some can go for years without communication, but the sweetness never leaves. I have found that life is busy for everyone and sometimes it just flies by, but I have learned that is ok. I used to stress over that, but I realized that if life is busy for me it is busy for others. So I enjoy the moments we can talk or send a note or randomly meet up some where. True friendships increase in depth and beauty over time.

We all need to open up our hearts and take down the guards and put asside the fear of refections that put up that keeps us from enjoying the meaning friendships that often times we pass up. God has given us the incredible ability to love with out limits as many and how deeply we want. I want a life full of meaningful deep relationships that not only blesses my life, but gives me the much needed experience of loving and giving freely of myself to others. This is where some of the greatest joys come from in this life. As we open our hearts and love those around us and take the time to cultivate relationships life can take on more meaning and purpose. One of the main purposes of life is to lift others around us and as we work on building meaning relationships it opens the door for greater opportunities to serve and lift others around us and in the process of lifting we are lifted up beyond our natural ability to do even greater things.

I truly hope your life is filled with meaningful relationships and I hope that because of your efforts to reach out and touch those around you that your life is filled with joy and completeness. If you are feeling lonely and sad, perhaps its time to make a new best friend.

Brad