The Hardest Part

My friend Malinda is a wife, home-schooling mother, and writer who strives for authentic faith, intentional living and thriving relationships in all she does. She writes about friendship, and my favorite post that strikes a chord in my heart is Deep Friendships Are Hard.

Malinda quit her day job a year ago, and her best friend recently moved away. She courageously seeks authentic friendships, even when it’s hard. “It’s taken years of hearing words like, you’re just so intimidating, Malinda, or I just don’t make friends well with other women, or yeah, let’s grab coffee (but then that person can never commit to a date). I have lost count of how many times my husband has held me while I weep over feeling alone, misunderstood, and like I’m too much for the women in my life. It’s been a long, uphill road.”

What does authentic friendship look like to her?

Authentic friendship requires time and effort, and most importantly, vulnerability—which, I think, is the hardest part for most of us. Because we want to be the best friend that others come to, but we don’t often want to need the friend. We don’t like admitting our mess, and like asking people to pray for us, not with us. At the end of the day, authentic friendship is work. It is the intentional choice to be real, to make time for others, and to serve their needs first.

This is part of a series called 31 Days of Authentic Friendship. Click here to see all posts.