I have found over the years that having friends takes work. Not begrudging work, but work all the same. To maintain friendships I need to be available to others at times that may not be convenient. Sickness and troubles can happen at the most inopportune moments, and yet I want to show, through my actions, that I love my friends.

I find I must be attentive not just during happy times but also during times of stress by listening to their worries and especially when prayers are requested. Friendship isn’t necessarily an equal give-and-take, but over the years I have found that I am not counting anything but the many blessings I have received for my efforts.

God created friendships, and I know this because the Apostle James tells me, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called a friend of God.” That is where real friendship begins – first with God. God teaches me as I read His word and pray, and He shows me what true love looks like. God’s love is the love I am to have for everyone, but occasionally in this love there is a special meeting of hearts that may lead to friendship and even marriage.

I have a dear friend from my first job out of high school who stays in contact with me and visits almost every year. I have newer friends that I have met since we moved to Ocean City, but I also stay in contact with those we knew in Seattle over 30 years ago. Some friends who live farther away are more like acquaintances now, but with one phone conversation we are hearts that beat in rhythm. If Linda calls from Tucson and shares joys or sorrows with me, even if we haven’t chatted in months, I can cry and laugh with her as if we were together just yesterday.

God places people in my life who are here for my comfort and joy as well as to grow me in my faith and vice versa. Because I love God I share my faith in Him with my friends. I pray that all of my friends will come to know their Creator as Father and Jesus as their Savior. Heaven is the place in which I look forward to enjoying not only Jesus but all of those I have loved on Earth.

As I make new friends I share my love for my Lord and Savior. Sometimes, if they are nonbelievers, they may feel awkward at first, but Jesus is such an integral part of my life that I cannot share myself with others without sharing Jesus. He is mine and I am His – our lives are intertwined by the very fact of His Lordship.

At this point in life, when I am retired, I have more time to devote to growing friendships, and I am listening to God as I set my schedule and plan my days. I have a dear friend whom I meet with once a week to spend an hour together, first to catch up on our lives and then to pray for the world and all the many people whom we know in our separate spheres who have needs and desires to be lifted up to God for His counsel and action.

My husband Neil and I have married couples that we make a point to meet on a somewhat irregular basis to share the stories in our lives with each other. It is such a joy when we get together that we tell each other upon parting, “We must do this more often.” But schedules today are harried, and suddenly months have gone by without another get-together. Keeping old friends is well worth the effort, and so we do it.

Making new friends and trying to squeeze them into an already busy life is somewhat more challenging. I invite people over for a midday tea time with coffee cake for just a couple of hours. That seems to be not as intimidating as a dinner invite, but if all goes well it might lead into dinner as the next step toward friendship.

Every old friend and every potential friend is someone God has purposefully placed in my life for a reason, and loving them is one of my jobs on Earth. Loving others isn’t always easy, but loving friends is truly a blessing.

I desire to be the same good friend to others that God is to me. My life is to imitate the life of Jesus, and I like to imagine His friendships with His disciples, and so that is the ultimate picture of my goal – to love my friends as God loves me.

Editor’s note: Amy Patsch writes from Ocean City. Email her at writerGoodGod@gmail.com.