A fine feathered friend...
I saw my old friend, Harry, the other day. I hadn't seen him in years, and there he was, not ten feet from me at the gas station. I caught his eye, smiled and nodded to him as if to ask "How're you doing?" while I filled my tank. He smiled and nodded back, then finished his transaction and drove away. That was somewhat of a bittersweet moment for me, as Harry's not just an old friend, but a very dear friend... he just doesn't know it. We were both involved with an outreach of Campus Crusade over 20 years ago. We worked with the music team, me as a guitar player, and Harry as a singer and sometimes saxophone player. Harry was an easy person to like... we became pretty fast friends and enjoyed our time together as often as we could.
Harry lived about an hour's drive away in Henderson, where he was quite respected as a high school teacher. This was back in the day before cell phones... we had to call from a landline to schedule time together. My work occasionally put me in the proximity of Henderson and I'd call Harry from a payphone... he'd be ready at a moment's notice to get together for dinner and some catching up. One day, however, Harry didn't answer the phone, and he didn't for months thereafter... and then, once again, he answered and, after some odd discussion, invited me over. He explained to me that he had a seizure while visiting family in Winston-Salem and awoke in a hospital room... he was diagnosed with a serious brain tumor and surgery followed shortly afterward. That surgery saved his life... but the removal of that tumor and surrounding brain matter, or margins as it is known, left him with no recollection of me or our friendship.
I remember that evening quite well. I was sitting there with my friend intact in every way, save one... I could see the life of our friendship in his eyes, and I could tell it was gone. This was one of the most awkward moments of my life. He told me that he hoped that I'd understand that he didn't want to pursue our friendship any further, as he had other things he needed to work through. As I said, he was a teacher at a local high school and his memory loss was an issue there, too. I understood, though it made the drive home quite a lot longer that night than it had ever been before. In effect, he had literally died before my eyes and I was in tears as I prayed for Harry... and my loss.
Do you remember making friends as a child? "Do you want to be friends? Cool... let's go ride bikes!"... or catch tadpoles, or draw, or play on the swings, or toss a football... simple as that. Adult friendships, however, can be messy things... it's hard to find that one right one you can open your heart to. Harder, still, to let it go once you've got it. I had to do that a lot as a child, being a member of a military family that moved so often. Seeing Harry again brought those memories back... and the memories of so many friends whose names I'd forgotten over the years.
I put no stock at all in time+matter+chance... I believe things happen for a reason. The 9th chapter of the Book of John opens with the disciples doing what many of us do, trying to figure out the Almighty. As Jesus went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Have you ever thought that the rough places on the road of life are actually blessings waiting for illumination? That's exactly what the "light of the world" does.
I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for all those friends, past and present, who have given me a heart full of joy even in the midst of the fearful journey life can be sometimes. One and all, they helped to make me the man I am today. Even in the sadness of it all, Harry still makes me smile. Love comes into that quotient, as well, as is the case with Harry… you don't grieve for things you don't love. Understanding that comes as a part of growing up, yet it doesn't make such situations any easier as you go through life. That "growing up" measure settles in, however, and you begin to understand that regardless of the pain and accountability friendships can bring, there are no regrets. And let's face it, no matter the season through life, friends make that life a lot more tolerable... and often fun.
Take this fella here, for instance... he was minding his own business as a number of other species squabbled around him along the docks of Wanchese, North Carolina, while I was visiting with photographer friend Gregg Southard, who lives nearby. He had apparently had enough and took to the sky. He made a full circuit of the harbor, returned to the very spot he left from and paddled up to me with an expression as if to say "What'd I miss?" My answer was a smile.
I'm headed back there for the weekend... the weather looks iffy, but I'll bet there's a shot to be had! I hope for a good weekend for you too... go out and make a new friend, even if it's a pelican.
A Season in Your Path, by Wayne Watson
(You can hear this song here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCbleRC0SsI )
Heard that friends are friends forever
But we don't talk much anymore
I guess that I've gone my way
And I guess that you've gone yours
Was kindness too neglected
On my list of deep regret?
In spite of distance unexpected
Can we forgive but not forget?
Sometimes I think about you
Some old memories make me cry
Remembering the good times makes me laugh
But all in all, I'm richer
For the happy and the sad
And I'm thankful for a season in your path
I guess God alone deciphers
When people need each other most
Who will be the blessed receiver
And who will be the gracious host
And all a servant here can do
Is unto the Lord avail
Content at times to be the wind
And at times to be the sail
If another winter settles
On your shoulder down the road
Without a thought of what's behind us
Let me help you pull your load
Sometimes I think about you
Some old memories make me cry
Remembering the good times makes me laugh
But all in all, I'm richer
For the happy and the sad
And I'm thankful for a season in your path
A fine feathered friend...
I saw my old friend, Harry, the other day. I hadn't seen him in years, and there he was, not ten feet from me at the gas station. I caught his eye, smiled and nodded to him as if to ask "How're you doing?" while I filled my tank. He smiled and nodded back, then finished his transaction and drove away. That was somewhat of a bittersweet moment for me, as Harry's not just an old friend, but a very dear friend... he just doesn't know it. We were both involved with an outreach of Campus Crusade over 20 years ago. We worked with the music team, me as a guitar player, and Harry as a singer and sometimes saxophone player. Harry was an easy person to like... we became pretty fast friends and enjoyed our time together as often as we could.
Harry lived about an hour's drive away in Henderson, where he was quite respected as a high school teacher. This was back in the day before cell phones... we had to call from a landline to schedule time together. My work occasionally put me in the proximity of Henderson and I'd call Harry from a payphone... he'd be ready at a moment's notice to get together for dinner and some catching up. One day, however, Harry didn't answer the phone, and he didn't for months thereafter... and then, once again, he answered and, after some odd discussion, invited me over. He explained to me that he had a seizure while visiting family in Winston-Salem and awoke in a hospital room... he was diagnosed with a serious brain tumor and surgery followed shortly afterward. That surgery saved his life... but the removal of that tumor and surrounding brain matter, or margins as it is known, left him with no recollection of me or our friendship.
I remember that evening quite well. I was sitting there with my friend intact in every way, save one... I could see the life of our friendship in his eyes, and I could tell it was gone. This was one of the most awkward moments of my life. He told me that he hoped that I'd understand that he didn't want to pursue our friendship any further, as he had other things he needed to work through. As I said, he was a teacher at a local high school and his memory loss was an issue there, too. I understood, though it made the drive home quite a lot longer that night than it had ever been before. In effect, he had literally died before my eyes and I was in tears as I prayed for Harry... and my loss.
Do you remember making friends as a child? "Do you want to be friends? Cool... let's go ride bikes!"... or catch tadpoles, or draw, or play on the swings, or toss a football... simple as that. Adult friendships, however, can be messy things... it's hard to find that one right one you can open your heart to. Harder, still, to let it go once you've got it. I had to do that a lot as a child, being a member of a military family that moved so often. Seeing Harry again brought those memories back... and the memories of so many friends whose names I'd forgotten over the years.
I put no stock at all in time+matter+chance... I believe things happen for a reason. The 9th chapter of the Book of John opens with the disciples doing what many of us do, trying to figure out the Almighty. As Jesus went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Have you ever thought that the rough places on the road of life are actually blessings waiting for illumination? That's exactly what the "light of the world" does.
I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for all those friends, past and present, who have given me a heart full of joy even in the midst of the fearful journey life can be sometimes. One and all, they helped to make me the man I am today. Even in the sadness of it all, Harry still makes me smile. Love comes into that quotient, as well, as is the case with Harry… you don't grieve for things you don't love. Understanding that comes as a part of growing up, yet it doesn't make such situations any easier as you go through life. That "growing up" measure settles in, however, and you begin to understand that regardless of the pain and accountability friendships can bring, there are no regrets. And let's face it, no matter the season through life, friends make that life a lot more tolerable... and often fun.
Take this fella here, for instance... he was minding his own business as a number of other species squabbled around him along the docks of Wanchese, North Carolina, while I was visiting with photographer friend Gregg Southard, who lives nearby. He had apparently had enough and took to the sky. He made a full circuit of the harbor, returned to the very spot he left from and paddled up to me with an expression as if to say "What'd I miss?" My answer was a smile.
I'm headed back there for the weekend... the weather looks iffy, but I'll bet there's a shot to be had! I hope for a good weekend for you too... go out and make a new friend, even if it's a pelican.
A Season in Your Path, by Wayne Watson
(You can hear this song here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCbleRC0SsI )
Heard that friends are friends forever
But we don't talk much anymore
I guess that I've gone my way
And I guess that you've gone yours
Was kindness too neglected
On my list of deep regret?
In spite of distance unexpected
Can we forgive but not forget?
Sometimes I think about you
Some old memories make me cry
Remembering the good times makes me laugh
But all in all, I'm richer
For the happy and the sad
And I'm thankful for a season in your path
I guess God alone deciphers
When people need each other most
Who will be the blessed receiver
And who will be the gracious host
And all a servant here can do
Is unto the Lord avail
Content at times to be the wind
And at times to be the sail
If another winter settles
On your shoulder down the road
Without a thought of what's behind us
Let me help you pull your load
Sometimes I think about you
Some old memories make me cry
Remembering the good times makes me laugh
But all in all, I'm richer
For the happy and the sad
And I'm thankful for a season in your path