"A toadstool can pop up over night. An oak tree, on the other hand, takes years to mature to full size. Let's take a look at the friendships in our lives. Have they popped up like toadstools or have they matured as oaks?
Intimacy - genuine intimacy - is not immediate. We expect it to be. The world around us tells us it is. Singles walk into bars and come out as couples. Acquaintances share statistics about kids' ages and skills and assume they've connected.
Toadstool friendships don't require much investment. We camp on common ground, enjoy the instant intimacy that arises and then when it's gone, move on to another spot. But Oak tree friends grow only with a greater investment. Time, availability, vulnerability, risk, spontaneity - these are the ingredients that fertilize an Oak tree friendship.
Are we growing toadstool or oak tree friendships? We'll probably want some of each. But we'll only get the lasting value of an oak tree friendship if we're willing to invest ourselves in our friends. Are we?"
Mom's Devotional Bible - Devotional Reading - Page 288
regarding Bible passage: 1 Samuel 20
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1 comment:
That makes me sad for all the toadstools I hoped they were oak trees.
Just thinking of my Maid of Honor...sniff. She could have been an oak tree darn it.
Suzanne
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