My friend's sudden and tragic death has reminded me why it is dangerous to make friends. It is dangerous to let people into your life and to get into other people's lives.
Even if they never take advantage of you or reject you, even if your friendship is only good...they may move away, or you may grow apart, or they might unexpectedly die.
Charles and I became friends at Starbucks. Our friendship helped us both be better preachers, followers of Jesus, and better men. His stories would make me laugh, confuse me, challenge me, and encourage me.
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Now that he is gone, Starbucks will be a little less bright. Over the past few days I have had a reoccuring thought that I wouldn't be this sad if I hadn't become friends with Charles. If he and I had not connected and shared our lives and our faith with each other, then it wouldn't hurt so much that he died.
Would I be better off if I didn't have to go through this grief? Then I remember that I wouldn't have had the blessing of the laughs, the challenges and the encouragement. I remember that I would be less than I am now if I had not known him.
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My family and my church are blessed that I knew Charles and that a part of him lives on and lives through me. So, I am thankful that I got to know him. I am glad that we made the effort to become friends and shared our lives with each other, for the time that we did have. It's always worth it.
