"Lost Friend"

 A call that night, surprised me, right,

Out of the blue came in,

From long ago, I used to know,

 He once had been my friend.

They said he died and someone tried,

To contact me before,

But now too late, gone through the gate,

To heaven’s golden shore.

When we were close, he’s one of those,

I thought would always be,

One of the best, not like the rest,

Once very close to me.

But life competes with no repeats,

Granted by its pace,

Other needs take other leads,

And fill the time and place.

We don’t drift far from who we are,

But some are left behind,

It’s not that we, don’t care, you see,

Just another path we find.

They slip away, like fog midday,

And though it’s been so long,

We feel remiss, about all this,

When we hear that they’re gone.

O Lord, my friends, who’ve always been,

I give them all to You,

Help me connect, and please direct,

My love for all I knew.

“Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (James 4:14, NIV)

The point James is making concerns presumption about our plans. We plan to do this or that without seeking or prioritizing God’s will. He emphasizes how transient life really is, and of course an old friend’s death can be a wake-up call about that. Life is all about humbly doing God’s Word and will, and letting the Lord lead us through the seasons of life to the end. Time is God’s gift to us. How we use it is our gift back to Him.

Lord, help us redeem the time, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Steve Boaldin, used by permission. Thanks, Steve, and God bless you.