When Lisa and I were in the church friendship was automatic. Friends were handed to you on a silver platter, already packaged and ready to go. Especially as the pastor, everyone in the church is your friend whether you like it or not.

When we left the church we had to learn how to make friends all over again. Here are some things we’ve learned:

1. It takes effort: If we sit around waiting for friends to show up, we’ll be found a year from now covered in cobwebs all alone and friendless. It takes work
2. You have to initiate: If we didn’t initiate it probably won’t happen. Sometimes friends call and ask to get together. But most often we feel we are initiating
3. Don’t take it personally: Everyone is just as busy and insecure as you are. They are just as distracted and preoccupied. Your friends aren’t avoiding you. They are just like you, caught on the treadmill of life and can’t get off. It sometimes takes a call to get us to stop and smell the roses with our friends.

Please apply these same facts to The Lasting Supper. You get out of it what you put in. If you take the time to engage with others, they will almost always engage with you. It you initiate with others, they will respond to you. If you don’t take it personally, then you will enjoy the relationships that do form on The Lasting Supper.

I have made good and long lasting friends here. I know others have as well and have even met up face to face. I don’t take this lightly. It is a gift.

I appreciate the friendships I have here. I will do my part to sustain them because I know I will get out of it what I put into it. How about you?