This is part of a series called 24 Days of Thankfulness. These posts are in RANDOM order, NOT priority order. Each is something I am thankful for leading up to Thanksgiving.
DAY #19: True Friends
There is an old saying, true friends run toward you when everyone else is running away. I’ve been there. I’m thankful for true friends. I’m not going to list names in this post, because that is a dangerous task indeed! But they know who they are!
Some are employees, board members, some are all over the country from past ministries, but all share a kindred spirit of fellowship with me over the years, though a few are newer since I moved to Colorado.
They are the ones who have stuck by me during the challenging times or just share life with me through the ups and downs of normal life. (Not to say my life is normal!) Because life is challenging, and without friends, it’s even tougher! They are the ones who have held me up when I couldn’t stand. They are the ones who believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. They are the ones now who know the real me – not the public me – and love me anyway. I’m a real guy. There is a guy named Karl behind the Kidologist. It’s not that I’m fake or a hypocrite, it’s just that I’m a real person, and there is a lot more to me than kids ministry. And I’m not perfect. I make mistakes. I struggle. I have other interests. (really!) And I need people who can see me as a normal person and as a regular guy. (and who aren’t intimidated by me, and who aren’t impressed at all) Friends who don’t even care about kids ministry or who I am publicly. Some who don’t even know about all that. Those are the best. They don’t even know I have a blog or websites and probably won’t even see this post! (Nice.) Because there are days I just want to be Karl and hang up the Kidologist and just have some friends who don’t care about that or kidmin friends who can see me outside of kidmin. Those are the awesomest friends. And I am thankful for them today.
Kidmin is great, but it isn’t everything.
When I teach on friendship, I tell the kids A True Friend C.A.R.E.S.
C = Challenges You (to be a better person)
A = Accepts You (just the way you are)
R = Respects You (don’t tear you down)
E = Encourages You (builds you up, makes you like yourself better)
S = Sticks By You (no matter what)
Thanking God today for my friends and employees and board members who live this out in my life. And I pray I am this kind of friend in return.