Loyalty

linking with Five Minute Friday at katemotaung.com
Write for five minutes on a given prompt, which today is “loyal”

Loyalty is something that seems underrated and often goes unrewarded.  Insurers and banks offer special deals to encourage people to sign up, but after a year the prices and the interest rates change and to get the best deal you have to shop around.  Loyalty is actively discouraged, and something about that saddens me, even when we’re only talking about bank accounts and car insurance.

It saddens me more that this attitude can carry over into the area of relationships, because I’ve always been drawn to the idea of loyalty.  I had the same best friend all the way through school from when I was 5 until I was 18 and while other friendships came and went, we were always there for one another.  There was great reward in knowing one another so well and having been through so much together.

Not that it’s all about reward.  Walking with a different friend through eating disorders and depression and suicide attempts has taught me that loyalty is for the good and the bad, that even when it’s difficult and it seems that there’s not much you can do, it’s about continuing to be there.

So, just to warn you, if we’ve become friends, the chances are you’ll be stuck with me for quite a while. 🙂

I love Ruth’s words to Naomi as she commits to leave her home to go with her, no matter what the future holds:

“Wherever you go, I will go.
  Wherever you live, I will live.
  Your people will be my people.
  Your God will be my God.”  (Ruth 1:16)

They’re a reflection of God’s commitment to us.  His mercies are new every morning, his goodness and love pursue us even when we run, and there’s a safety and security in knowing that, no matter what, his love never fails and we can rest in his absolute faithfulness and loyalty towards us.

“Can a mother forget her nursing child?  Can she feel no love for the child she has borne?  But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!  See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.”  (Isaiah 49:15-16)

If you haven’t been here in a while and you are confused about the change of name on the blog, this post  will explain.