[__ Prayer __] non-believer "friend-shedding"

[Christ_empowered]

ok. so, I read a little article, somewhere, by a believer somewhat like....me, in some respects...on the more left wing end of things, got saved more out of being 'surprised by grace' (CS Lewis phrase, I believe...), and then...

she proceeded to lose a good number of unbeliever friends, even though she was a baby Christian and not really prepared for the conflict that seems to break loose (did for me...and others whose stories I've read...) following conversion. anyway...

I think, on a personal note, that I may have inadvertently 'shed' my -last- remaining friend/friendly acquaintance from 'back then...' in my case, the days of late teens to early-ish twenties, the 'crazy' years of my (sinful, squandered) youth, etc. -sigh-

and...this is surprising, to me...I'm not all that broken up about it. I almost feel...maybe this is the complete, total, final end of 'back then,' or even...the echos of 'back then,' in my life. its like this...she has friends near me, she made scheduled time to see them, in advance...

she called me and wanted to drop by at some point, but i'd already made family plans, my place was clean enough but...not company-ready, and...and....

i politely, almost wimp-y style, declined. i was very apologetic, but...0 notice, i already had some stuff going on, and...yeah. yeah. i haven't heard from her since, and...honestly...

Matthew 19:29

Honestly, that verse is more a reminder, to me, that lots of people have lost (continue to lose today, will lose, in years to come...) far, far more than I could ever imagine...for Jesus. To follow Him, to love Him, to know Him...

really, losing my friends, many of whom had faded into friendly acquaintances, is/was...nothing, or at least very little, in comparison.

rambling...

deal is, I imagine -a lot- of us have lost relationships of some sort...friends, family members even, people we thought were supportive...simply because we came to believe upon THE LORD.

maybe...a little prayer for those we used to know, who are (for now...) still in darkness? and for the other Christians out there who may be perplexed, some hurt, by the changes Knowing THE LORD often brings to one's life.

thanks.

 

[for_his_glory]

I'm 65 so friends have come and gone in my life. I really only have two girlfriends as one I talk to just about everyday and the other one not so much, but yet we are close. Ones a Christian the other not, yet!!!!!! Still slowly feeding her bits and pieces not to push her away. I pray she will come around one day.

Hubby and I have friends, but they are not close friends as we only see them a few times a year as they re more my brothers friends then ours. I do pray for them as I really do not get a chance to witness Christ to them very often. It's good to pray for those you know and do not know as we pray for everyone in the world.

 

[JohnDB]

Its impossible to be a Christian all alone.
There are unbelievers to witness to and believers to pray with. Then there is the usual consequences of being a believer which means that somehow you become a giving person... always looking for opportunities to give. Which means that someone is a recipient of your gifts to God.

So...sure, some friends do get sloughed off. But new ones come along. Ones that share in your ideals and morals.
Between the praying, witnessing, and giving you seem to get surrounded by people.
And I don't really know how that happened...I was never that popular as a teenager. I knew people I went to school with and those at my church. But I'm much much more popular today than I ever was as a teenager. I go out more to meet friends than I ever did as a youth. Nevermind most other adults I know that never seem to go out... other than with their spouses.

 

[jasonc]

Must be a me thing,

Time no money,money no,time .

I make it Wednesday,bought not much else . since I have a work imbalance as I must work ,I have little time .my wife's health depends on it

 

[humble soul]

I am more human being shedding.
No such thing as a loner Christian?
I think i can do good works( by the grace of God, ) when connecting with the occasional loner.
Weirdos club. Something like that.
I cant love everyone right? you mean I have to follow Jesus' example?
Man thats too hard.

 

[Christ_empowered]

it wasn't my choice to shed people. maybe i got too old or something besides my (genuine, at long last) conversion? I dunno.

I just know that the few people I had left from -back then- started losing interest, pretty much once I got genuinely saved. This last one...honestly, I've known her since we were in our late teens, but I don't know if we were ever really, truly friends. not to get all touchy feely and such (yet again...), but I'm kind of thinking we just killed a.lot.of time together, over the years. and now?

I have different priorities, maybe she just kept tabs on me out of guilt or pity or some other 'progressive' inclination towards the 'severely mentally ill,' etc.? i dunno. i really don't. and, honestly...

at this point, I think I need to get out and somehow make friends. given how incredibly low status and stigmatized I am, it might be difficult, but...OK. Do-able, I think, God willing.