How to Have Intentional FriendshipsSample

# The Conversation That Changed My Life “How about a little party—just a few people?” my husband, Tim, cajoled me one day. Sighing, I turned to him. “Fine,” I said begrudgingly as he cheered. Even as I agreed, I was already dreading it, envisioning the hours I would spend cleaning and cooking and corralling kids. That pattern continued for the first several years of our marriage. While I genuinely enjoyed spending time with friends at our home, my introverted nature couldn’t help but feel stressed in the weeks before each event. And then, at a dinner party, we had a conversation that changed my life. Sitting in my friends’ well-lit kitchen, sunshine streaming in the windows, we talked candidly about how often they hosted church events at their home. They seemed to have a revolving door of small groups and meetings. One of my friends spoke up, and his words struck a chord deep inside. “It changed for me when I started thinking of our home as a resource,” he said. “Rather than viewing it as something I needed to protect, it became something I could use.” The idea spiraled for me, as I underwent a radical shift—from thinking of my home, finances, and time as possessions to thinking of them as resources. If my home is a resource, I can use it to invite others in. If my finances are a resource, I can share them with those in need. If my time is a resource, I can use it wisely to fulfill the calling God has placed within me. Paul’s words to Timothy remind us that being generous with our earthly resources is a way of storing up treasure for eternity. My friend’s timely words to me were the perfect reminder that sharing our lives and homes with friends shouldn’t feel like a drain on our resources; it should be a cause for celebration. Today’s act of friendship: List the resources you have that you can use to foster friendships with others, then utilize one of them.