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A Wealth


The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends. (Proverbs 14:20)

          How is today’s verse as a reconsideration of poverty and wealth? Begin with the sad reality that people flock around those who are famous, wealthy, or powerful in hope of gain, while the poor are avoided because they are seen as leeches. There is probably just enough truth to both those ideas to support the myths. Rich people feel used. Poor feel abandoned. 
          At the same time, in terms of loyal friends, it may be that those who ware shunned by their neighbors are poor, no matter how much money they have, and those who have many friends are rich no matter how much money they have. In that sense, I’m probably both richer and poorer than I realize. What percentage of my social media friends list are loyal friends, and what percentage would disappear if I needed their help? I don’t know. I’ve been shunned by people I thought were friends and helped by people I didn’t realize were friends. I am rich because of the friendships I have even though I’ve never met some of those friends.
          I have a hard time with the idea that friendships make me wealthy. I understand the logic behind it, I know it’s true, but my inclination is to a small circle of friends, far smaller than my social media numbers suggest. As an introvert, I tend to want just one or two friends, but in a way, that makes me a vampire. I return to the same couple of people for everything I need from my friends, sucking them dry. Since I have been Dad’s sole caregiver, I understand how hard that can be on people. I need the wider range of friends that I have rather than the few close friends that would be my natural preference. I probably don’t value my friends as I should. If you happen to be one of them, I apologize. If I happen to be your friend, I apologize also. I probably haven’t been as good a friend as I should be.

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