Faithful Wounds

Faithful are the wounds of a friend;

but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Proverbs 27:6

If you and I have been friends for any amount of time, this verse has probably come into play at least once, probably more.  I have a habit of being a very straight-talker.  I learned a long time ago that it was better, more productive to speak honestly in friendship, even when it hurts.  I want to love you enough to let you be mad at me.  I'd rather say something and be wrong about a situation than to not say anything in loving caution and be right, letting you walk blindly into a painful experience.  

I often ask myself what it looks like to love another well.  What does faithfulness look like?  I wish it meant just agreeing with every decision they make and encouraging any path they choose.  It doesn't.  More often, loving someone well means speaking hard truths, asking difficult or uncomfortable questions, gently but consistently insisting on their best over their comfort.  

Why am I bringing this up now?  Gratitude.

One of the keys to making this kind of friendship work is making it a two-way street.  I've got to be willing to receive as good as I give.  I've purposefully surrounded myself with people who value this principle as much as I do, and recently, I've had several potentially painful conversations with people who loved me enough to risk upsetting me.  Faithful friends.  In each case I come away feeling absolutely rich, blessed beyond measure to have friends so deeply committed to God's best in and for my life.