Week Four: More Fun in Immigration

I had the super-fun opportunity to go back once again to immigration, but this time it was for my friend Bre, who got here this week and will be staying with us for a while. She is here on a tourist visa, and had to go register it. It was definitely an adventure, as most things having to do with immigration in Ecuador are. We were all over town in buses, trolley and taxi, trying to get to each office before they closed. We were running from building to building at full speed, regardless of the high altitude and the near fainting. But victory was ours!

I don’t know if there’s anything as encouraging in this life as true friends. Everything you do with a true friend can be an adventure, and you almost always get back home exhausted, laughing and telling everyone else a million stories from the day that only the two of you really find funny. My favorite part about my friendship with Bre is that we have shared every kind of moment together, and there is nothing we wouldn’t do for each other.

The Bible says that a friend sticks closer than a brother. What do you think? According to this characteristic of a friend, do you have a lot of friends? Are your friends only good for laughing and hanging out, or are they there crying with you when you’re hurt? Are they at your side when there’s nothing in it for them? How many of those friends do you have? One? None?

My mom always told me that if you want good friends, you have to be a good friend. Are you good for more than hanging out? Would you give your friend whatever they needed? Would you be at your friend’s bedside when they’re sick? Would you be so sad to see your friend hurt that you would cry too? I think it’s true what my mom said. I think if you want to be loved, you have to love. You have to be vulnerable. You have to put yourself out there, even if you get hurt every time. You have to make the people you love the priority. You have to love freely.

Maybe as you’re reading this, you’re thinking about a friend of yours. Has life been busy lately? When was the last time you really talked with that person? When was the last time you gave up something in your life to be able to give to your friend? Remember that life is nothing without the people that make it worth living. Don’t let your life get in the way of your true friendships. If you have time to read my blog (thanks for reading, by the way) you have time to call your friend and set up a dinner date. You have time to call and apologize for that time you were an idiot, and start over. Why not do it now? Take some time and make sure those you love know how much you love them.