I would like to pay tribute to an old friend of the family – a friend whose last name literally was Friend. Pastor J.P. Friend died today (May, 16 2006) in a car accident in Tennessee. He was a longtime pastor for First Assembly of God churches, one of which was in my home town of Crawfordsville, Indiana.
It seems like I can’t remember ever not knowing Pastor Friend. When he learned that I was struggling with drugs and alcohol, he was quick to say, “Get your butt in the car and move in with us. You need to get your focus on Jesus, son!” I stayed with his family for almost a year, and not once did I feel like I was not part of the family. I mean that literally, too. When I was acting like a fool, J.P. was quick to say so. He was “no holds barred” type of guy, but I always knew it was because he cared about me. He cared about God’s Kingdom. He preached fire and brimstone on Sundays, and was quick to cut-up with us at home.
Never, in a million years would I have imagined him dying in a car wreck – I assumed he would be around until I was an old man, telling me, “I still have your tools, Aaron. You can pick them up anytime…” He had a toolbox with some old tools in it that I left at his house when I moved out – I never made the effort to get them because it was fun joking with him about it whenever we talked.
At any rate, he will be missed. I thank God that he got to see his son and I get saved before he went home, and that I got to be a part of the family for as long as I did. You should have heard his voice when I told him that I had found Jesus. He said, “I knew you’d come around - it’s about time! Now… I have these tools…”
…I’m going to miss hearing that.
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus, God will bring with Him.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 & 14.
It seems like I can’t remember ever not knowing Pastor Friend. When he learned that I was struggling with drugs and alcohol, he was quick to say, “Get your butt in the car and move in with us. You need to get your focus on Jesus, son!” I stayed with his family for almost a year, and not once did I feel like I was not part of the family. I mean that literally, too. When I was acting like a fool, J.P. was quick to say so. He was “no holds barred” type of guy, but I always knew it was because he cared about me. He cared about God’s Kingdom. He preached fire and brimstone on Sundays, and was quick to cut-up with us at home.
Never, in a million years would I have imagined him dying in a car wreck – I assumed he would be around until I was an old man, telling me, “I still have your tools, Aaron. You can pick them up anytime…” He had a toolbox with some old tools in it that I left at his house when I moved out – I never made the effort to get them because it was fun joking with him about it whenever we talked.
At any rate, he will be missed. I thank God that he got to see his son and I get saved before he went home, and that I got to be a part of the family for as long as I did. You should have heard his voice when I told him that I had found Jesus. He said, “I knew you’d come around - it’s about time! Now… I have these tools…”
…I’m going to miss hearing that.
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus, God will bring with Him.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 & 14.
1 comment:
me too!
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