Sunday, July 29, 2007

Goodbye Friend

I lost a friend yesterday. I knew it was coming, and I'd been dreading saying goodbye. I left work yesterday giving my goodbye to this friend. It was his last day at work, and I knew I'd more than likely not see him again. If I do see him, I know it won't be the same. It'll be the way as it is with that friend I made last year, but only now occasionally see him for a couple of minutes at a time, usually once every other month or so. Everything is very cordial, but nothing deep or meaningful. There's no longer any hangout time.

I left work crying yesterday. I didn't want to lose my friend. I actually lingered around longer than I should have just so I could spend a few extra minutes with him. I'll admit I'm attracted to him, but I know he's straight, so there's no hope or chance of anything happening that shouldn't. But that's not why I want him for a friend. I like his sense of humor. I like his personality. I like his expressions. I like the way he treats other people, and the way he treats me.

I know this post probably stinks. I'm not trying to write well right now. I'm tired and I'm frustrated. I'm tired of not being able to make friends... close friends. I'm tired of getting to know all these really great guys and always having to say goodbye to them. I'm tired of being alone and feeling as though nobody likes me enough to want to be around me. I keep trying to be as good as I can be to other people, and yet I feel like I just keep getting stepped on or ignored or judged or whatever else.

I miss. I miss all those people I've pushed away. Yes, pushed away. Ignorantly pushed away, right out of my life. I miss all those people I wanted so desperately to be friends with, but couldn't. I miss so many people that are no longer around.

I'm just so tired of struggling with all this stuff. I'm tired of trying and feeling as though I'm getting nowhere.

God... I'm not even going to say anything other than this: "You know what I need. Please help me."

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You said:

God... I'm not even going to say anything other than this: "You know what I need. Please help me."

God loves to answer prayers like that!

I will be praying for you, too. Remember that any good time you ever had with any good friend really is a gift from God, so thank Him and look to Him as the source of what you need.

Unknown said...

Brandon,

I’m not sure how you lost this friend. Is he rejecting you or just changing jobs?

But I have had this same experience when my friends have gotten married. Once they have a wife they are still there, but not in the way I want because they turn all their affection towards their new wife and family.

I have prayed the same prayer you have and felt these same feelings. Here was God’s answer to me, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these other things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:34) Sometimes I place more of my thoughts on my emotional needs than on God. Then the desire to meet my emotional and relational needs becomes such a preoccupation that my friends become #1 in my life and God then moves to #2. This competition between affections is called idolatry (Matt. 6:24). I have found that God will remove anything from my life that becomes #1. Then only once I have again made Jesus #1 in my life will He then allow me to meet those other social needs. Until then, He will constantly remove anything from my life that hinders my relationship with Him and all the while I will continue to feel more frustrated and lonely. But, I have found that once I put Him first He providently meets my needs for friendship by bringing people into my life. This is EXACTLY what has just occurred in my life in the past few weeks.

Know this, I love you and I am praying for you and have been for some time now.

Grace & Peace,

Rik