In Memory

Today is the one year anniversary of the day my friend passed away. This is what I shared at his memorial service.

"Greg was my first friend. He was seven months older than me, and our childhood adventure began when my parents first brought me home from the hospital. He called me "sissy" up until the last time we spoke, about two weeks before he passed away.

There are too many memories to count. I honestly don't think I have a single childhood memory that doesn't include Greg. That red hair, those orange eyes, his infectious laugh. Among the thousands of things that keep popping into my mind, what I remember and treasure most vividly are the hours and hours we would spend sitting on the lawn behind the basketball hoop after shooting hoops or riding bikes. We would sit and talk until it was past dark, pondering the complexities of life (at least as complex as life could be for a couple of kids!) I remember an ongoing discussion about the concept of "infinity", attempting to wrap our brains around the idea that something could literally never end. Later, we would say goodnight with our flashlights across the cul-d-sac. We had invented our own code for communicating after dark!

He was smart. And fast. And strong.

Later, in high school, a boy named Paul entered into my life. It was on one hand a joy, and on the other a frustration when Paul and Greg became friends, as they would sometimes team up against me and get into trouble together. But I knew Paul was "in" once I had Greg's approval. In fact they were even roommates for a time in college, and they would come watch me play Volleyball together when I was playing at BCC. Later, Greg would be a groomsman in our wedding. I remember that morning, Greg and Paul came over to mom and dad's and brought me my favorite donuts to start off the day right.

Greg was a good man. He had an enormous heart... compassionate, generous, and fiercely loyal. He would give you the shirt off his back. My heart will always have a piece missing with his name on it.

The last couple years, I had been sharing with Greg my faith in Jesus. Seemingly every conversation we had recently turned into a God conversation. Greg was God conscious. Even as kids we talked about God. He shared with me that he felt closest to God in the mornings while he was outside walking his dogs. I have peace and comfort as I reflect back on those conversations... I know that God knew Greg, knew his heart, knew his struggles, and loves Greg as His own precious son.

This is a scripture that I have found comfort in this last week, and I want to share it with you now. I pray it will give you hope and peace in the knowledge of how very much God loves and cares for us, and that no matter what, His love for all of us, and for Greg, never ends."

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, not things present nor things to come, not height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8:35-39