“There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die.”
On Saturday I sat in a tiny church in Hoschton, Georgia and heard these words spoken over the remains of a friend. Familiar words. Words that should bring comfort, yet for this moment in time, they bring a sadness and regret that I am having trouble fully voicing.
Greg and I first met Richard Flowers in 1996 after we called about a house we were interested in looking at in Dacula, Georgia. Richard was the selling agent. Two things became immediately obvious:
Greg and Richard and their new tattoos.
1) Richard knew real estate, and 2) Richard loved to talk. Fast forward. Richard and his sweet wife, Donna, became close friends of ours. We bought the house Richard was selling in the neighborhood where he and Donna lived. We bought a Harley Davidson Road King and road a ton of miles with Richard and Donna. We took in one of their Brittney puppies in 1998 and Jake became a beloved member of our family until he went to that happy bird hunting ground in the sky in 2010. Greg and Richard became wonderful shooting and bird hunting buddies. We spent a long night in their basement when a tornado came through Gwinnett County in the late 90’s. We were in their home, and they in ours, many times. So many wonderful memories of time spent with Richard and Donna.
A very successful hunt!
Yet, that is where my sadness and regret begin. When Greg and I moved back home to Blairsville in late 1999, the distance between our home and theirs worked against us. Over the course of the past 10 years, we lost touch. We were all busy. Life and distance happened. We did not make the effort to maintain the friendship.
About 16 months ago, Greg and Richard spent a day at the shooting club. They had a great time. Then when Jake died in June of 2010 we spoke with Richard briefly. Jake’s brother, Lupe, died within 12 hours of Jake. We became Facebook friends. That was it for about 10 years. What we did not do was make the effort to get together. REGRET!
Now, suddenly and without warning, Richard is gone. Yes, we will see him again, because late in his life, Richard came to know Jesus. I rejoice in that. But, my heart is filled with so much regret that we did not make the effort to sustain the face-to-face friendship over the years. It would have been worth the extra effort. It would have been worth giving up something else in order to make time for friends.
So today, I cry tears of regret and I vow not to let this happen with other friendships. Good friendships are rare and precious. They are worth the effort.
MEDITATION MOMENT: Are there friends you need to reach out to…make time for…get reacquainted with? Don’t wait until it is too late! Do it today! You will not be sorry.
