Friends

FRIENDS

John 15:15"No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

This is not going to be one of those "let me show you my scar" stories, promise. It is about friendship. You will have to indulge me for a few paragraphs to set this thing up.

One year ago, Annie and I were watching our boy, as we have done on many hot Alabama summer days, work the plate like magic. There is nothing like seeing a catcher call for that strike three in the dirt. Like clockwork, SteveO goes to his knees, makes a cloud of dust with a body block and rips the ball down to first as the runner tries hopelessly to advance on that dirt ball. You baseball zealots, you know what I am talking about here. I live for these plays.

This day was different. I was not enjoying this game. And I couldn’t get out of the bed at our hotel the next morning. This is when I knew something was wrong. From a Sunday to a Tuesday, without all the gory details, I went from normal everyday stuff to an 8 inch gash in my chest, as 4 new arteries were inserted in my heart compliments of my left leg. No apparent reason, no weight, significant health issues, etc but a lifelong love of greasy fast foods and a sedentary lifestyle resulted in three 90% blockages and one 60% blockage. I have Nurse Annie to thank for my life, insisting that I see my doctor. I was fortunate. No heart damage.

Three weeks later, I was back at work part time. Disabled? Are you kidding? Can you imagine the immediate difference in this human shell I occupy as a result of the torrent of blood flow that I now was experiencing? One year later, I walk/jog 3 miles/5 times a week. I continue to tell myself that a veggie burger is a Hardees Monster Burger, but, well, you know.

Now the friendship part. I am excluding family here, their love is a given, at least in my life. Friends...they are a choice. As I was being wheeled in for surgery, I told Annie to make sure Jeff and Max take care of my boy if something goes wrong. Fighting back the tears, the strongest women I have ever known, nodded in agreement.

Jeff and Max. Our boys have known each other since kindergarten. We have coached every sport imaginable over the years. I managed a team that went to the last out of the Dixie World Series in Lynchburg Va with Jeff one summer (alas, we lost, but runner-up wasn't too shabby). Jeff is that guy who gets the left hand--right hand thing (

Matt.6:3-4) Max is the guy I call if I am in jail at 2 AM for some nefarious behavior.

I heard this one time. Look at your hand. Count the digits. If you end up with that many true friends in life, you have had a good life. One other friend on that hand—who wasn’t mentioned, but didn’t have to be, is the guy who has managed all my life insurance business over the years. Although not directly involved in those affairs now, I knew if something happened, Allie-Cat would be on the phone to Murray---and Murray would get the job done.

I leave you with this. Somewhere from you mid 20’s to your 50’s life gets messy. The neat little package all of a sudden gets trimmed with scars and surgical wires. Some of you may be facing a similar health issue; there may have been some strained interpersonal matters along the way, etc. I went from total embarrassment to great pride looking at that scar every morning. Behind the scar is a changed heart, both physically and spiritually. Ponder the scars in your own life...and embrace them. They will teach you some big lessons, if you let them.

Embrace those five finger friends. Don’t let them disappear from your life. Love your family. Love your spouse. She/He may be the one left one day to clean up the mess. And most of all, laugh. Funny, I told my cardiologist I went from a person who ground my molars to dust in a silent fuming fury to a person who can go from nuclear to sappy in about 30 seconds. She laughed and said that the medical journals are full of folks like me. And I laughed. Lots laughter in between the nuclear and the sappy. My heat is merry , life is a beautiful mess, and I love it.

Mark the Mad Hatter

Proverbs 17:22

A joyful heart is good medicine,

But a broken spirit dries up the bones.