After 50, it’s challenging to make new acquaintances. Making friends is typically less complicated when one is younger.
I didn’t go to college, and I moved around a lot. My best friend was my mother, and she’s in heaven now.
I have witnessed that friendships formed in college frequently last a lifetime. That’s a beautiful thing. Appreciate this if you have it. Even though we have phones, email, and social media, staying in touch can still be hard.
By the time I reached adulthood, I had a wide range of friendships under my belt.
To name a few, The party-friend would only get together with me for social events. I recall that on occasion, they took advantage by expecting me to pay for drinks or order the most expensive dish at restaurants and requesting to split the tab with them. I admit I did it a few times. But I caught on, and whenever I was asked to go out, I chose to stay home or go out alone.
YOU really get to know yourself when you spend time alone.
I also experienced the Good-weather friend who was only around when things were going well, and the weather was good. (lol). So during times of emotional distress or difficulty, they were not present. Upon reflection, it became evident that these friendships were transient, lasting only a short time.
True friends see you through the highs and lows of life.
I realized these individuals lacked authenticity; their actions mainly involved hurting and fostering me to have a negative self-perception. I saw that the nature of these friendships were perplexing and presented challenges in comprehending them.
It was during these times that I got closer to a peaceful presence that we know as GOD. I came to understand that his desire for us is to have genuine friends. He doesn’t want us to waste our time or energy on phony or fickle friendships.
Exploring Genuine Friendships
True friends are few and far between in a world full of superficial acquaintances and pretenders, yet they do exist.
These genuine humans are priceless.
If you’re looking for genuine companionship, start with the people who make an effort to spend time with you.
When someone wants to spend time with you, it’s because they care about you, when they initiate plans to hang out with you and talk without you having to ask.
It’s a solid sign, a love language!
We must cultivate these genuine relationships with individuals who actively invest their time and energy in our companionship.
This goes for family as well.
Maybe you haven’t heard from anyone, and that’s making you feel even more isolated. This occurs to me far too frequently. It can make you feel alone, but you must keep in mind that you are never truly alone.
God is our unfailing companion, and His love for us is limitless.
God is with us even in the darkest of times, through the pain of loss and grief. If we let Him, He would flood our souls with inexhaustible affection. The Lord never abandons us to bear our suffering alone.
The Lord has felt every kind of suffering we can imagine. Since God is infinitely empathetic and supportive, we can confide in Him about anything.
By no means am I preaching in this post. I honestly don’t read the Bible. But I have heard through Joel Osteen preachings a few good stories from the Bible.
But I know that I know, God is continually encouraging us by highlighting our inherent value and proclaiming His undying love for us. In the same way, genuine friends will seek us out as a friend because we are someone they enjoy being friends with and care about.
With genuine friends, you can relax and be yourself without fear of rejection. True friends would never want to diminish you, highlight your weaknesses, or cause you to question who you are as a person.
Although lifelong friends are difficult to come by, I have found via prayer and patience. They do exist.
Are you over 50 and have had the blessing of meeting a genuine friend? Please feel free to share your story with me, and others will see there is hope in finding GOD-sent friendships.
Thank you for your time!
