The blueberry patch near our house has been here for over thirty years, and these bushes keep making sweet fruit. Our friend, Wanda, tends to them little by little, and keeps them well-pruned.
If Wanda let the bushes grow grow grow, the fruit wouldn’t get as sweet. The nutrients would be spread thin.
Are you feeling that way lately? Are your relationships in need of revival?
We learned how to embrace awkward, and now we’re going to learn how to tend to relationships little by little, and simplify our time. When we do, sweeter fruit is going to grow.
1. Lean In To the Power of Little By Little.
Little by little, you learned how to do what you do, whether it’s a creative skill, motherhood, or your vocation. Little by little, peaches ripen on trees. Little by little, ingredients are added into a bowl to make cake batter. It’s the same with our friendships and marriages. Little by little, meaningful relationships are cultivated. One small seed planted today can grow into a towering tree years from now. The little by little adds up. If we strive for overnight results, we might miss the good fruit that waits for us in the process—the growing part.
What one little itsy bitsy seed can you plant today in a friendship?
Maybe it’s as simple as asking a second question, or finally reaching out to set up that coffee date you keep talking about, or sending a quick text message to ask, “How are you today?”
Deeper friendships don’t have to come from huge acts of affection, but by constant little by little tending. Take little by little action today!
2. Prune to Make It Sweeter.
We cannot do it all and do life well. Let that settle in your heart for a moment. We cannot do it all and do it all well, but we can choose a few things and grow them intentionally. Choose one area of your life to prune. Maybe it’s your schedule, your finances, your closet, or your inbox that feels overgrown. Write down ONE thing you are going to let go of, simplify, or cut to make room for what matters.
Simplify your goals with PowerSheets, simplify your spending with Nancy’s Contentment Challenge, tackle your inbox with Unroll.Me, and decide if you need to prune your social media accounts or other distractions.
3. Dig Under the Surface.
Vulnerability changes things. But, in order for vulnerable connection to happen, there first has to be a foundation of trust. Think about your own friendships. How have you grown to trust friends in the past or how would you build trust now? For me, that means listening well, praying for my friends, admitting my mistakes (and that I’m not perfect!), being willing to share my struggles, and being curious about the other person’s heart. It means being willing to take risks and ask meaningful questions. Dig under the surface and ask others what you would want them to ask you.
Get much more in the NEW Fruitful Friendships Workbook.
I’m excited for you!