Friendship: Longevity

We finish our look at positive aspects of friendship with two stories this week featuring one of our "forever friend" matches. Forever Friends are matches that have moved on from the Faithful Friends oversight process but have chosen to remain in each other’s lives. Truly this match has produced long term impact through its LONGEVITY for both Rachael and Biana.

We asked Rachael to share some words of encouragement for other mentors who may be wondering how to make it through some of the harder days when the relationship may feel like more a struggle:

I think mostly [I] was wrestling with wondering if I was making any impact, if my mentee even enjoyed spending time with me because she didn't talk to me much for the first 3-4 years.

Sometimes I struggled with knowing what activity to do and would overthink planning things. Over time, I began to trust she liked spending time with me even if I wasn't getting that feedback overtly and I began being more comfortable with just "hanging out" and took the pressure off myself to always have a specific activity ready to go when we'd spend time together.

Both these things made for a better relationship because I would relax and enjoy her company more without being worried about what we were doing or if she wanted to be there.

We will finish our series on Thursday where we will hear again from Rachael and consider IMPACT and TRANSFORMATION in our relationships.

Learn more about Rachael and Biana’s relationship in this 4-part interview series by Pastor Cameron from Door of Hope Northeast. Parts 3 and 4 can be found on Thursday’s post.