In a recent period of stress and anxiety, I reached out to a friend. Not just any friend. I’m talking about the kind of friend Solomon described: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17).
I’ve known this guy since high school, but we have only reconnected in the past couple of years. I wouldn’t trade him for anything.
I have a few friends like that – very few. I can identify with Mark Twain, who said, “The trouble is not in dying for a friend, but in finding a friend worth dying for.”
If you don’t have a friend like that, I suggest you begin the process of finding one. If you are in recovery, you especially need this guy in your life.
South Miami Recovery identifies several benefits that friends bring to recovery:
- Boosting your happiness and reducing your stress
- Improving your sense of belonging and purpose
- Increasing your sense of self-worth and self-confidence
- Helping you cope when you struggle with traumatic events
- Encouraging you in a new lifestyle of recovery
Recovery Step: If you have this kind of friend, tell him (and God) how grateful you are for him today. If you don’t have a friend like this, ask God to bring someone like this into your life before the end of the year.
