by Meg
Living a godly life is not easy in today's world, though I probably donʼt have to tell you that.
Currently, I work at a Subway in Eagle River, Alaska (weʼre ranked top in the state, you should stop by sometime), and Iʼm surrounded by hundreds of different, diverse people every day.
When I lived in Athens, I could walk into the Dollar General and say "hi" to four different people I knew. Especially one of my best friends, who strangely always seemed to be there when I was. Anyway, my point is that the world is full of people and not all of them are Christians.
Choosing your friends after a transition is vital to your walk with God. You have to choose people who can help you along with your faith, not hinder it. I havenʼt yet been able to find any Christian friends, and I can safely say my walk has become slow and hard because of this.
Change weakens a person. When I moved to Athens I was so desperate for friends I reached out to everyone hoping to find my place. Thankfully, God sent the right people to me: good, Christian girls who would influence me in a positive way.
Here in Alaska the struggle has been harder, but I know God will send someone if Iʼm patient; and wherever you are, He will send friends to you, too. Itʼs not just a comforting thought, itʼs absolutely true.
Iʼm going to be completely honest and say that this is something Iʼm still struggling with. Itʼs lonely without friends, and sometimes Skype doesnʼt cut it. I know if youʼre in this situation you know what Iʼm talking about. I came to Alaska with the bitter view that I didnʼt want new friends. My old friends in Illinois were fine. And people, this will make you very, very angry inside.
At first itʼs easy. You start school (Iʼm homeschooled), you get a job, you meet some nice people (not necessarily your friends), you settle in, youʼre actually starting to smile at life again. Then a month or two goes by and your old friends (who youʼve been conversing with at length so far) start their school and you see on Facebook theyʼve been hanging out. Jealousy creeps in, but thereʼs nothing you can do about it. You want to hang out with friends, but only those friends. Not new ones.
The hole deepens when you realize that the rest of your family is meeting people and making friends. Personally, to combat this chasm, I got a dog. Her name is Zeva, and sheʼs a cutie! Sheʼs smart, fun, and happy...but she canʼt talk. She canʼt go grab ice cream. She can have a sleepover, but she keeps licking me and chewing on my shoes.
What Iʼm trying to say is you have to get out there. GO to youth group at church. If you donʼt like your youth group, find another one. If youʼre homeschooled, FIND that homeschool home group. Theyʼre really out there. If you go to school, JOIN that club that looks interesting. And above all, BE YOURSELF.
God made you perfect just the way you are, and Heʼll send friends who think that about you. The journey into the hole of no-friend-ness (yeah I couldnʼt think of a better name) is dark and lonely. You have to climb out.
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