I Will Miss Our Coffees, and Your Laugh.
I learned today that a friend and brother in Christ passed through the door to glory. I was profoundly saddened at the news of his passing. We were not “close” friends per se, but there was a deep connection between us, though he was 20 years my senior. I loved him, though I barely knew him.
That is the connection of brothers in Christ.
He was a misunderstood soul; he suffered from serious mental illness, and brokenness abounded in his life, but he was as honest as the day is long. He demonstrated the epitome of childlike faith. I remember his contagious laugh, and his smirk of a smile as he spoke passionately of the love of Jesus, he deeply cared for others, and it is likely that this man was the last vestige of love for the Revised Standard Version of the Bible – he must have had 25 of them on a shelf at home. We had been deciding on a date to have coffee again when I heard the news of his passing.
I will miss him dearly.
We became friends a few years ago. His car door lock was broken and he asked if I could fix it. He heard that I was taking an online locksmith course, so I said sure. Though I now admit I had no real clue what I was doing…I somehow managed to fix it.
Sort of.
Regardless, that evening we spent 4 hours laughing and drinking coffee, while I “fixed” his lock. A connection was made that night. This man smashed through every barrier of preconceived notions I ever had… He taught me about love for the marginalized, for the outcast, for the orphan and widow – he taught me about true religion. It was through him that I learned we ought to get know the person behind the label.
Erwin Lutzer once said that,
Death is not the end of the road; it is only a bend in the road. The road winds only through those paths through which Christ Himself has gone. This Travel Agent does not expect us to discover the trail for ourselves. Often we say that Christ will meet us on the other side. That is true, of course, but misleading. Let us never forget that He walks with us on this side of the curtain and then guides us through the opening. We will meet Him there, because we have met Him here.
Christ met my friend.
He walked hand in hand with him.
He led him through to the other side and met him there.
I am saddened at his passing, but I know that I will see him soon.
I will miss our coffees, and your laugh. See you soon my friend.
SDG
This post first appeared on the One Christian Dad Facebook Page.
