I’m all for Rocky Road ice cream, but I don’t get so excited about rocky roads in relationships.

Relationships are hard. Romantic ones, friendships, and those ones that are just kind of somewhere in between. You can't just WebMD the cure to fixing your relationship problems and even though you could Google them, I don't advise that.

While I definitely don't claim to be a relationship expert or a psychologist, I think experience has value.

For the past few weeks, I've had a strained relationship with a really important person in my life. It went from a friendship of talking everyday, maintaining an impressive snapchat streak, and spending time together on a regular basis. We hit a bump in the road and we haven't talked in weeks. For me, the silence has been loud, so loud that it’s deafening. It’s so hard to go through difficulties with someone so close to your heart and so present in your daily life. While I am still working to mend my friendship, I've thought a lot about what it means to really care about someone.

I read a quote this week from Ralph Waldo Emerson that speaks volumes to this.

"I do not wish to treat friendships daintily, but with the toughest of courage. When they are real, they are not glass threads or frost-work, but rather the solidest things we know."

Sometimes it's going to hurt to love and care for someone. Relationships aren't easy, but that's what truly makes them worth it. We have to learn how to work through rocky roads with those we love.

As ironic as it sounds, it is often through that difficulties that bonds and relationships are strengthened. People aren’t perfect, so it just wouldn’t make sense for imperfect people to make perfect relationships.

Mending a relationship is one of the most selfless and difficult things you can do. I challenge you to cover the relationships in your life with prayer. God honors those who seek Him in every aspect of their life. I believe we were created for relationships and God wants nothing more than for us to enjoy living this beautiful life with people that we care about. I believe that God places everyone in our lives for a reason and He aims to teach us something through every relationship we build. Whether the relationship is seasonal or long-lasting, there is purpose.

I don't know if my friend will read this, but if they do, I want them to know how much I love and care for them. During this time, I’ve definitely learned the importance of seeking God in every aspect of my life. I’ve learned that it’s okay to cry when you miss someone. It is so true that- “God is never blind to your tears, deaf to your pain, or silent to your pain. He sees, He hears, and He will deliver.” I trust that God is using this time to grow my faith, trust, and dependence in Him.

It may have taken me a while, but I realize that most everything is recoverable. Have faith in the people you love and trust that you'll find your way back together. Life is too precious to live without the people you love.

Find some sprinkles for your rocky roads. Learn how to appreciate the good in all of your valued relationships.