Never EVER

I've been thinking a lot about friendships and community lately. How they are supposed to work, what went wrong when they haven't. I really want to know what God intends for His people and how that is supposed to work itself out. What's the balance between grace and truth? How do Christians walk in sticky situations? I'm not totally sure what friendships among Christians are supposed to be. I have learned a few things though while I continue to search it out. I'm holding onto these lessons I've learned and mulling them over as we meet new people and will teach M how to be a good friend.

Here's my number one friendship rule:

Never, never EVER attack some one's spouse. EVER! It's one of the deepest, meanest hurts, it's totally unfair and it doesn't go away.

Last year, while George was working not 1, not 2, but 3 retail jobs and putting together TV stands in a 100 degree warehouse for extra money, a "friend" confronted me about his provision for our family. This "friend" said how he would have to answer to God for the way he was providing, as if he were doing nothing and went on to talk about his pride.

I do not think I could have been hurt more. We aren't friends with that person/couple anymore and it really ruined a lot of things. It's what caused us to end up so lonely and isolated toward the end of my pregnancy and when M was born. Just a nasty, messy situation.

I can't unhear that and I'm still working on giving that hurt totally back to God.

So this is my PSA, never EVER attack some one's spouse!