Recently, I was talking with a few coworkers about friendship. We had all recently read a new book by Lisa-Jo Baker about the topic, and there was a line in it that had resonated deeply with us: “Maybe the most radical, intimate thing we can do for our friends is to show up.”

So often, that’s the key: just showing up.

I think about that every time I’m tempted to cancel a coffee date because I’d really rather just have a lazy morning, or when I want to bail on a dinner with friends in favor of Netflix, and even when I’m tempted to skip church on a Sunday morning.