How To Make New Friends at Any Stage in Life
When I was first introduced to Monique at church, I instantly felt a connection with her. There was just something so sweet and genuine about this bubbly young lady, and she seemed wise beyond her years.
I'd recently moved to a new area of L.A. where I didn't have any friends yet. The covid pandemic, which was still running rampant, wasn't making the situation easier. Like so many others, I was feeling lonely at times, and after crossing paths with Monique, I started praying for an opportunity to build a friendship with her.
God answered that prayer. It didn't happen right away, but as the months went by, Monique and I continued to run into each other at church. Small talk after services led to heart-to-heart conversations over lunch or coffee.
The more I got to know Monique, the more I liked her.
As different as the two of us may seem on the surface (she's ten years my junior; she's Hispanic; I'm European; she's single; I'm married), we also have plenty in common—most importantly, our faith in Jesus.
Monique and I both lead active, involved lives, and there would be times when we would have so much on our plates that we couldn't get together for weeks. But we would always make sure to stay in touch via text so the other person knew we were thinking about her and praying for her.
Recently, Monique suggested we meet for brunch, as it had been a while since we last saw each other. What she didn't tell me was that she'd planned for the meal to be a late celebration of my birthday.
We decided on a cute little cafe in the area that neither of us had been to before. To our amazement, as we walked through the doors, we discovered that the whole room was decorated with festive balloons and gorgeous flower garlands.
As it turned out, this establishment specialized in birthdays and other types of celebrations. We had NO idea…!
The place even had a gold-coated "Princess Chair" that Monique had me sit in to pose for pictures! (If I'd known I was going to be the star of an impromptu photo shoot that morning, I would have worn a ballgown, not ripped jeans, haha.)
To top it off, Monique showed up with a dozen pink roses for me. Plus, she insisted on treating me to anything I wanted from the menu. Last but not least, she lifted me up as usual with her contagious smile and words of godly wisdom.
Indeed, "a sweet friendship refreshes the soul" (Proverbs 27:9, MSG)!
A great day.
As for the takeaway…
I believe that whether you're 30 or 60 or 90, you can ALWAYS make new friends. There's no point in life where that ship has sailed.
I say this as someone who has moved many times over the years—both cross city, cross county, and across the world—and each time, I've had to start from scratch with my friendships.
At the same time, I think it's wise to keep your expectations in check when trying to make new friends. Because there will be disappointments along the way. We're going to experience potentially promising friendships which, for whatever reason, turn out not to be worth investing in.
That said, with 7.8 billion people on the planet, there's no need to lose hope!
If you keep praying that God will lead you to the right women, continue to approach others, give it some time, and remain open and available, I'm convinced you'll make new friends down the line!
Finally, right below, I want to leave you with some friendship quotes* I thought would be worth passing on. Enjoy...and happy connecting!
“There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.” Linda Grayson.
“Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer.” Ed Cunningham.
“A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down." Arnold H. Glasgow.
“Best friends. Because if anyone else heard our conversations we’d end up in the mental hospital.” Unknown.
“A friend is one of the best things you can be and the greatest things you can have.” Sarah Valdez.
“Friendship is so weird…you just pick a human you’ve met and you’re like ‘Yep, I like this one’ and you just do stuff with them.” Unknown.
“Friends are the family you choose.” Jess C. Scott.
“The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.” Elisabeth Foley.
“A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though they know that you are slightly cracked.” Bernard Meltzer.
“Best friend: the one that you can be mad at only for a short period of time because you have important stuff to tell them.” Unknown.
“A friend may be waiting behind a stranger’s face.” Maya Angelou.
L.B.
Got any thoughts or tips on how to make new friends? Let me know in the comments section below!
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