We loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well (1 Thessalonians 2:8 TNIV).
I have recently read that a professor of psychology at Loyola University said, "People need someone to whom they can tell the story of their lives."
And all of us have a story, and all of us have a profound longing for friendship — a poignant searching for the kinds of things that only a close and lasting relationship can bring. People desire that kind of connection that makes their lives significant to someone else.
But I've found sadly that often people don't know how to make friends because they are afraid to risk themselves to another person. If you fear opening up to someone else, remember that others are just as eager to tell their story as you are. As the old gospel song says, "Sharing our mutual woes." And that turns sharing into mutual riches through friendship.
God bless your efforts to risk yourself to others, and to Christ.
