I Lost a Friend Today

I lost a friend today, not a person, not pet, but a friend just the same.
We met 19 years ago and for 19 years we nurtured one another, each in our own way. It was a caring and serving relationship that is now gone.

When friendships are fresh and new there is an excitement, a special kind of energy. As they continue they can get a bit mundane and there are temptations to move on. But if we hold on, the friendship becomes precious and mutually rewarding.

We had reached that point, my friend and I. As my friend grew older it took more of me to keep things going. But it was worth it.

Then, in the blink of an eye, it was over. My friend, bend and broken, was carried away for the last time.

Please don’t judge me when you read that my friend was a 2006 Mercedes E350 purchased new and stewarded faithfully for 19 years. A tricky intersection and a speeding car, that seemingly came from nowhere–and it was over. The clever engineering of my friend’s designers prevented injuries to any of the people, as the crumple zones absorbed the energy from both cars on impact.

But my friend did not survive.

I refuse to pretend this does not matter.
I feel deeply because I am made in the image of a God who feels.
I mourn because I know this world is not yet made new.
I long because eternity is written in my heart.

But
I grieve with hope
I cry to a God who listens
I remember that resurrection is not just a doctrine, it’s a promise.

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Even so, come, Lord Jesus