Admirable Friends

      It is amazing what you can learn about your friends when you sit back and listen. I have one friend in particular who is going through a lot of real pain. I listened to talk about it, but, unlike a lot of folks, she did not drag on about how terrible her life was and how she hated so and so and all that. She only kept talking because I asked deeper questions. Here she was, in a really difficult situation, and yet, she was not really complaining. I really admire that.
     Even though she has ever reason to be angry at God (she has had serious hardships for years) she is not. She is loving and encouraging and when another one of my friends is having a hard time, she is the first to comfort that person. She is beautiful. I want to be like that.

     Another friend of mine I admire her for her joy. She is always smiling and hugging people who are down in spirit. Whenever I have been somewhere new and I'm confused about what to do, if she is there, she always makes me feel included and makes an effort to help me understand. She is helpful and positive, but she is not one of those optimistic people whose joy is just obnoxious and noisy. She can be silly without being stupid. She is real and genuine and I will always look up to her as a great example of a true Christian.

     Pure, friendly, honest, and honorable are all characteristics that describe one of my friends. She stands up for what is right. She doesn't let people push her into doing something she believes is wrong, but when she tells that person she doesn't want to do bad things, she is polite and loving. When I disagree with people, I have the tenancy to get upset, but she stays calm and says things with honey instead of vinegar.
     She is also funny, but not in a way that ever puts someone else down or is inappropriate. She is a beautiful example of a Godly teenage girl growing into a mature woman. She can be sophisticated and then she can be silly and crazy, but always in a good way and never out of hand. She is also really good at seeing other people's perspectives and noticing if anyone looks lonely or left out.

    I love my friends. Seeing how they handle hardships and push through life with a smile constantly trusting God is so beautiful. I look up to these girls and hope to be like them.
    Thank you God for putting people in my life to look up to and show me how I should act. Thank you for giving be such loving teachers. I pray that you would help them know how loved they are.

~Daughter of the Light