Check On Your Friends

A few days ago I received a simple text message from a friend. She stated that I had come to her mind earlier in the day and she wanted to see how I was doing. There wasn’t anything extraordinary about this message, but it really meant something to me. I was doing fine—my day had not been anything out of the ordinary—but I felt cared for and like I mattered when I read this message.

I oftentimes think of friends as I go throughout the day. On occasion I reach out to them and see how they are doing. However, my experience receiving this text message makes me think that I don’t do this often enough. If my friend’s simple message meant so much to me, wouldn’t it mean a lot to my friends to receive similar messages?

I’ve seen posts on social media that encourage you to check on certain friends.

• “Check on your friends with preteens. We are not okay.”
• “In this heat, remember to check on your friends with curly hair. We are not okay.”
• “Check on your friends with kids out of school for summer break. We are not okay.”

Most of these posts are meant to be humorous, but they get me thinking about a couple of important things. One is that we should check on our friends. Another is that we should check on ALL of our friends, not just certain friends. Elizabeth, a fellow blogger who writes at Guilty Chocoholic Mama, shared this same sentiment a few weeks ago using this image.

Life is challenging. Being a spouse is challenging. Being a parent is challenging. Being an employee (or employer) is challenging. Dealing with traffic is challenging. Dealing with finances is challenging. Being a good neighbor is challenging. Processing current events is challenging. Dealing with illness is challenging. Not a single one of us is living an easy, carefree life.

Unfortunately, we often face these challenges alone. Researchers report that 22% of adults in the U.S. say that they often or always feel lonely, feel that they lack companionship, feel left out, or feel isolated from others (source). God didn’t create us to live life in isolation; His design is for us to have companionship and support from family and friends (Genesis 2:18, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Proverbs 27:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, etc.).

Checking in on loved ones won’t fix this problem of loneliness, nor will it provide all of the companionship and support a person needs. However, it is one small way to connect so we can rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15).

Sometimes I’m uncertain how to initiate conversation when I check on someone or it seems like asking “How are you?” is impersonal. When I feel like this, I get the conversation started with one of these alternative ways to ask “How are you?”

How do you feel when a friend checks in on you? Which friend (or friends) do you need to check on today?

Shared at the following:

Encouraging Hearts and Home and Busy Monday.