Breakfast with My Buddy

The day started before 5:00 a.m. this morning when I groggily drug myself out of bed and into the shower. There was a men’s bible study at 6:00 a.m. There was the Care Center bible study at 10:00 a.m. and a funeral to preach at 1:30 p.m. The highlight of the day though, was the breakfast I shared with a buddy around 7:30 a.m.

My buddy has had his ups and downs with the Lord over the past year. There have been great spurts of growth and maturity intertwined with seasons of going through the motions and having little desire for God. His devotional life has been inconsistent at best. We talked about what the Lord is doing in his life, family, sports, and church.

The breakfast was great: biscuits and gravy, bacon, eggs, and hash browns but the conversation was better. I have known my buddy for well over a decade. We have shared times of laughter, tears, anger, frustration, but most of all love of the deepest nature. I have witnessed him struggle with things most men struggle with. I have seen him at pinnacle moments of success as well as was there to counsel him life’s defeats. He is a strong man, independent, fiercely competitive, but also tender and sensitive. At times I have cautioned him as his focus began to stray from the Lord onto lesser things.

He is the strong silent type. He is content to sit in the background in many conversations. There are times I really wonder what is going on inside of Him. I wonder about the depth of what the Lord is doing in his heart but try not to pry too much. I wonder if when I preach it ever sinks in. He doesn’t say much about it but I was surprised today when he told me he liked to hear me preach. I would have never thought this from my vantage point behind the pulpit watching him seated in a pew.

This guy is one of the most driven men I have ever known. If he sets a goal he knows how to work, sacrifice, and is disciplined to get it done. He has a great work ethic and is not satisfied with just getting the job done but wants to do it right. I admire this guy. In fact, I am not ashamed to say that I actively seek to cheer this guy on in the arena of life.

I wear many hats. Some call me “preacher”, some “brother”, and I even have some who call me “bro.” I am known as pastor, author, volunteer, but one title I cherish above them all is the one my buddy calls me. He calls me daddy. Yes, my buddy is one of my sons. I enjoyed special time with one of them this morning over breakfast. I loved every minute of it and hated to see it come to an end.

Yesterday I had lunch with one of my other sons. We laughed as I admiringly looked deep into his greenish colored eyes. He is gifted, talented, and a leader. He is so cool that if I were his age I would want to be his best friend. I love hanging out with him. Though he is growing I still like putting him in my lap and kissing him on the cheek from time to time. He was the first to run to greet me at the airport when I flew home from a preaching trip. He is my also my buddy.

The week before that, I took one of his brothers to lunch. We laughed, talked, but mostly we enjoyed being together. My face lit up when he walked up to me after class. I beamed as we ate his favorite food and he devoured it. He is so intelligent and witty. He cracks me up as he makes us jokes and riddles from time to time. He is gifted in many areas. It seems nothing comes hard to this kid. I admire him and love him beyond words. I love the bond we share on multiple levels. We drove slowly back to school enjoying our brief retreat.

Now I have another son who craves my one on one attention. I can’t wait to do it. He is the life of the party constantly making me laugh with one liners. He has boundless energy and wants little more than to be seated next to me or in my lap no matter where we are. He brings a smile to my face and warmth to my heart. He along with his tree brothers are all special.

Spending time with my children is a great delight. I am indeed a blessed man. “Behold children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies at the gate.” [Ps 127:3-5]

My boys are not inconveniences, in the way, a hindrance, or a nuisance. They are each one blessings. I did not enjoy the kind of childhood my boys are enjoying. I never had a daddy available. I cannot even begin to describe the deep wounds that caused. My children are a gift as are yours. Now, what are we going to do with those gifts?

Sadly some of you have squandered those gifts already. I recently rode on a trip with a man whose children are all grown who told me he made many mistakes and one of them was not giving his children enough individual attention. I still have time as do many of you. I exhort you to make the most of it. Well I need to run. I got so caught up in writing this that I lost track of time. I should have left the office an hour ago. I am off to see my buddies and to enjoy an evening with them while I still have time.