“REED” This
Old Friends
I enjoy remembering old friends. It’s fun sometimes to think back to how things were as we grew up together. There were neighborhood friends that we would meet and play in one or the other’s backyards. Or we would meet on one of our driveways and ride bikes around on it or through the neighborhood streets. There were school friends that we grew up with being in the same grade. Sometimes we had the same teacher in grade school and had our desks next to one another. As we got older, maybe our schedules were similar in middle school and high school and we had some classes together. There were some I was friends with because we shared a particular class. I had friends that were on the football team. I had friends that were in the band. I had friends that were in my math classes. In my senior year, I took a creative writing class and became closer to some friends that I hadn’t spent as much time with before. Most were friends that I had known since we were in kindergarten, but we hadn’t always had much in common or many classes together. This class was different, and it gave me opportunities to spend a lot of time with them due to several projects we worked on together. One of those friends was a guy that I ended up hanging out with a lot outside of that class. We developed a closer friendship where we could share with one another some difficulties or struggles we were going through. Along with that, I had several opportunities to share my faith in Jesus with him. He was always willing to listen and had questions and wanted to discuss it with me. But, when I would ask him if he wanted to trust in Jesus as his Savior, he always would say, “That sounds good, but I’m just not ready to do that right now.” We kept close throughout our senior year and even into the following summer. We went to different colleges and would see each other only a few times during those years. The last time I remember seeing him was at the old Wal-Mart back home when I was visiting for Christmas. We were both married by that time and in there for some last-minute shopping. It was good seeing him and catching up just a little as our encounter was brief. That had to have been over twenty-five years ago. Last week I heard that old friend had passed away. His older sister had posted it on social media.
I was saddened to hear about his passing. Not only because a friend had died, but more so because a friend died and I don’t know if he ever received Jesus. It has been heavy on my mind a lot since I heard. There is nothing I can do about it now, but did I do enough? I had the opportunity to share with him when we were in high school and a few times after, but was it enough? Was my life enough of a Christian example to make him want what I had? Did he ever see Jesus in me? I may never know the answers to those questions. Yet, those thoughts are still on my mind. Although I can’t do anything for him now, I can let his passing be a hard reminder of the responsibility I have while I’m still alive on this earth. I must be about my Father’s business. I must be sharing my faith, sharing Jesus with all who will listen, and even those who won’t. I must be allowing Christ to live in and through me so others will see Him. I don’t want any of my friends, family, or acquaintances to not know Jesus as their Savior. I must be living for Him.
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Galatians 2:20
Bro. Paul Reed
Tuesday, October 12, 2021