When a Friend Moves Away

Hey, Carpool Crew. We're talking about that moment when your best friend tells you that their family is moving. Now, it might feel like the floor is dropping out, and the summer plans that you had with them are gone. We're gonna have a great conversation today. I'm Pastor Justin. Let's jump in with the one thing I want you to remember: Real friendship doesn't end with distance. Listen to this from Proverbs chapter 17, verse 17: "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time." Now, a friend loves at all times. Not just when it's easy, not just when you go to the same school, not just when you live two doors down, at all times. That's a big part of the verse. It's something that Solomon wrote, and he wrote it in a city called Jerusalem about 3,000 years ago. Now, people didn't have phones back then. They didn't have planes. If a friend moved one town over, you might never see them again. But Solomon knew that real friendship doesn't quit when the address changes. We have ways to connect with people, not just sending letters. You could send a short video. You can see each other and be able to tell stories to each other. It's so true that it made it into the movie Inside Out, when Riley is sitting in her room chatting with her friend back in Minnesota after she's the one that moved to San Francisco. Even though there was a great distance, she was still connecting with her friend. Here's the thing, Carpool Crew, if Jesus were sitting with you, I think He'd say, "I know this one might hurt, and I'm right here with you in it, and I've experienced it." Distance is no match for deep friendship between people. Take Pastor Justin, for example. Some of my closest friends live in New York. We're in a text group together. We see each other now and then, but they're some of my closest, closest friends. Now, if a friend moves away, I know that's a bummer, and I know the easy thing would be to fade away too. Maybe you stop messaging them, you never send a letter. You feel like it's awkward that they're so far away and they're gone, and you tell yourself, "It's just gonna be different now, so why even try?" That's not friendship. That's just the convenience of someone living close to you wearing a friendship costume. Real friendship doesn't care how far you live, because there's always a way to connect. So if this happens to you, I want you to try one of these three things. First, once a week, just send them a funny picture. Maybe you draw something or you pose in a goofy way, and ask your mom or dad to send it to their parent. It's an easy way to stay connected. Second, a call. A quick phone call or a video call to catch each other up on all the things that are happening in your life. You can hear about where they live now, maybe even see their house a little bit. That could be pretty exciting, and I know it would mean a lot to them. And third, pray for them. On a regular basis, say, "God, I want to pray for my friend," and then share some things that you specifically want to pray to God about for them. That's an exciting thing to do for a friend. Now, let's go back to that one thing I wanted you to remember. Real friendship doesn't end with distance. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And parents, if you love this podcast, consider going over to carpoolingwithjesus.com. We have a great tool there on the Carpool Crew page. You can scroll down, and it is called our conversation starter. This is so great for the car, for the dinner table, for just hanging out. It's a digital set of questions that change with every click. We have a ton of questions up there that you can use during long road trips, hanging out at home, just to have some fun and get some conversation going. We love families in the Carpool Crew, and we want to make your summer awesome. Now before you go, let's answer this question together. Who's one friend you haven't talked to in a while, and what's one thing you could do this week to reach out? I'll see you tomorrow on Carpooling with Jesus.