Seasoned friends

Last week I was having a conversation with my mother-in-law about life in general. And she makes the statement that we all have seasoned friends. Friends that are only in our life for a season. This thought had never occured to me. But, after giving it much consideration I realize how true it has proved to be in my own life.

How many times have I wondered why friendships have ended for really no reason at all... they were seasoned friends. There are times in our life when we need people.. we need people who make us laugh, people who distract us from the chaos we're surrounded by, people who understand what we've gone through, people who love our kids and treat them like their own, I mean I could go on. But, soon life passes by. And the needs of your life change and so do theirs. It's not a bad thing that people change, but it happens. Does that make sense to anyone but me? I'm not implying that ALL friends are seasoned friends. Thank God for the ones who are life friends. It's just that.. like a light bulb has gone off in my head and things I couldn't make heads or tails of in the past... I now completely understand. I'm very appreciative of the friends that were in my life, even if it was only for a season.

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.