From the Editor's Desk: BFF's?

You know what I love? Remembering summers from grade school; I had no idea what the fashion was, or what was popular on TV. To my friends and I, nothing mattered except who could make the best tree fort or who got the red Popsicle. I still can’t believe my dad would let us loose with a box of nails and a couple hammers.

And then somehow, somewhere, friendship changed. When does that happen? It kind of stinks doesn’t it? That friendship can be so great … and then all of a sudden … so not great.

For the rest of this summer, on LifeTeen.com, we’re going to be talking about friendship. It’s an important part of our lives. Since we were created from the Trinity – which is a union of three persons in one God – it’s written into our souls to want to be in relationship with other people. That’s when we’re happiest. It’s what we were made for.

But we weren’t made to be hurt and experience brokenness. Which sadly, can accompany friendship. I know what it’s like to get hurt by a friend and wish you had never met them. But I also know what it’s like to thank God for a friend who leads me closer to Him every day.

Friends come and go. They can make or break you. That’s all. There’s only two possibilities – either your friend is going to help you get to Heaven … or they won’t. That’s the importance of friendship. It puts some weight to it, huh? Your friends are the ones who can be your “sturdy shelter” and your “treasure” (Sirach 6:14).

That doesn’t mean that friends should only pray together. But it does mean that you and your friends do everything with the “goal” of Heaven in mind. Let’s face it, Christianity is a team sport.

Just like the quarter back can’t get to the end zone without his team blocking for him, at some point, we need our friends to be the linemen. They help us see “the Way” and guard against the traps and sins that distract and trip us up.

This summer we’ll be talking about good and bad friendships, friends with benefits, loneliness, and more. Plus, get some fun ideas of what you can do with friends this Summer … in case your Slip ‘n Slide rips or you run out of trees to build forts in.