God's timing

Today is a bit of a rant.  Not sure that I'll have scripture to post for it.  But the rant is backed up by something as solid as concrete.  I schedule this blog, I write at least 2-3 days ahead.  So what has posted the last few days was written days before it posted.


Yet on the days immediately after it was written, I saw things play out that the blogs for Wed & Thurs addressed.  Not because I'm psychic or have any special abilities, but rather because an all knowing God knew the things that would happen in my life and that blogs about the Tongue & Self-Righteousness would address things I was seeing happen.


He knew that I was going to see/hear things that would upset me.  Things that would leave me wondering 'why?'.  "How does someone change that much in such a short about of time?'.  How do you go from being excited about something to downing it?  What happens to make you change?


I sit here this evening still wondering 'why'.  I'm one of those odd folks, I don't  throw the words friendship and love around loosely.  When I say I'm your friend that means through the good and the bad.  I may not agree with you, I may think you are dead wrong but who really makes that a condition for friendship?  Do I treasure those terms too much?  Do I have unrealistic expectations of what they mean?


I don't think so.  I think that others may just take it to lightly.  We get so used to the 'unfriend' button on FB that we forget true friends don't walk away that easy.  True friends are there when you need them.  They have your back even if they disagree with what you do or say.  Now that doesn't mean they condone those things, if they disagree.  It just means a true friend doesn't attack a friend.  It goes against everything the word friend means.


You can disagree, you can even fight about it but you don't attack if you are a true friend.  Now if you aren't that type of friend, you may have a hard time realizing that someone else could be that type of true friend to you.  That is if you will let them. 


A few years ago a friend and I had a very heated disagreement.  They were furious at something I had done and they lost no time telling me how wrong I was and they didn't care if we ever talked again.  I was sad they felt that way but I truly believed I had handled the manner in the correct (Biblical) way.  Time passed, we didn't talk, I was still their friend but they did not want to be 'friends'.  Then they came under attack in a lot of areas of their life, life was very hard for them.  I sent a message that I was praying for them and was there if I could help.  Our friendship was still there, it had taken a break and it had to heal but the love rooted down deep would not go away that easily. 
I'm not saying that to say 'oh look at me', I'm telling you this because that is what a true friend does!  They care, it doesn't matter the disagreement, it doesn't matter how angry you may have been.  When a friend is attacked a true friend is there, they may tell them that they disagree with them but they still have their back.  You don't throw away friends. 


Now, are their exceptions to that?  Sure, if the 'friend' is causing you harm or is disloyal to you - yeah that's a bit different from a disagreement.  Loyalty is a key word with me.  If you can't be loyal, extend a hand to help even if you disagree with me, maybe investing in your friendship isn't my wisest investment.  Sometimes you have to make those choices, I get it.  I agree with it.


But I still don't think that friends are or should be expendable.