No matter where we come from, how old we are, or what our favorite flavor of ice cream is, something we can pretty much all agree on is that one of the most refreshing and encouraging things we can come across in our lives is a genuine friendship. A genuine friendship is one where someone knows every part of who you are, but they love you just the same. It's a call-on-you-in-the-middle-of-the-night kind of friendship. One that comes with belly-aching laughs and a shoulder to cry on when you need it.

Friendship is God's best evidence of himself on this earth. Friendships transform us; shaping us in to who we are and helping us get to the person we want to be. Shauna Niequist, the author of "Cold Tangerines," pust it best when she writes:

"Friendship is acting out God’s love for people in tangible ways. We are made to represent the love of God in each other’s lives, so that each person we walk through life with has a more profound sense of God’s love for them. Friendship is an opportunity to act on God’s behalf in the lives of people that we’re close to, reminding each one who God is. When we do the hard, intimate work of friendship, we bring a little more divine into daily life. We get to remind one another about the bigger, more beautiful picture that we can’t always see from where we are."

So, friendships like these don't just come about. They come from constant accountability. From prayer, encouragement, and lots of love. They come from work and honesty and calling each other to the higher standard than that of this world. They come from vulnerability and giving up the desire for people to only see the best parts of ourselves.

Simply put, good friends feed the soul.