Grace Community Christian Church

 

Archived Things Above

Cya, Buddy (6/5/01)

He's moving today & I haven't been able to get that off my mind all day, no matter how hard I try.

It doesn't really make sense that I should be so consumed. I mean, he's even got a moving company coming to load the truck; all he had to do was pack the boxes. I never had any company help me in any way in any of our twelve moves. We packed & we loaded & we drove the truck. But I'm happy for him. He deserves it.

He's Grant, & if you've been around me much at all, you know he's the best friend I've ever had. We first hooked up on Prince Edward Island, Canada, & for six years there we ministered with congregations half an hour apart. Even though we initially couldn't stand each other, we ended up playing computer games, bouncing sermon ideas off each other, co-deaning high school camps, serving on various boards, & attending camps & conferences together. We also kept Subway in business & wreaked as much havoc & chaos as possible wherever we went.

Then he moved to a small church on the Bay of Fundy, in New Brunswick, & within a year I had moved here. Guess what? The friendship moved with us! The Internet meant he still suffered regular cyber-humiliation at my hands. It also enabled us to stay in touch, several times per week or even per day. Discipleship challenges, more sermon idea bouncing, encouragement, listening - we still shared life across the miles.

Today he heads for a new ministry in Toronto. Home turf for him & his wife; alien urban culture for their three young sons. It's a good move; the church was sorry to see him go, but they understand the pull of home. And the church he's going to has a solid history of growth & Godly leadership. It should be a good match, & one that points people to God's grace for years & years.

So why the melancholy? Why the lump in my throat all day long? Why the countless prayers lifted up for their safety & Godspeed?

Maybe it's because I love him so much. Even though he can make me mad & get me irritated & drive me nuts, deep down, he's my best friend. And because this is such an important day for him, it's an important day for me. I want to be there. I want to help load his truck. I want to drive it for him & be part of this new chapter in their lives. I want to crack jokes & make them all laugh. I want to get all red in the face & wheeze with the insane enthusiasm of my own laugh until we all fall on the floor with tears running down our cheeks, just like we used to do.

So here I sit, missing it all. And yet, a part of it all, too, because friendship, especially Christ-centered friendship, isn't measured in miles, it's measured in heartbeats. And in things like memories & depth & caring & acceptance. Even though I'm not with him, I'm with him. Some of you know exactly what I mean.

Even so, Toronto's only a day's drive . . . eh?!


Jim Dewar --