Boys, Friends, and the Winter of Life

I knew a boy who loved to play baseball. He lived for the next game and the competition. He played for the Rhinos. But there was another boy who also loved the game. He played for the Cubs. They knew one another as one player who competes against another. Little did they know the kind of friends they would become. These two boys became teammates on the high school football team. One was bigger and stronger and played tight-end. The other had the physical attributes for a running back. In their senior year they played a team that was ranked number two in the state. It was a close game. The score was tied with two minutes left in the game. The quarterback threw a deep pass. The running back flew down the field, turned and jumped and caught the ball. The tight-end laid down a bone jarring block. Touchdown! The number two ranked team was defeated.

They were no longer boys. They were young men. There were matters that were far more important than hits and touchdowns. When the would-be running back was fourteen he was converted to Jesus Christ. He had heard an evangelist preach the good news of the forgiveness of sins and eternal life at the church he attended. His life was forever changed. His friend began to ask him questions about the Christian faith. Was it all true? Could one trust the Bible? The questions kept coming. One evening the two teenagers attended a Youth for Christ rally. The Moody Science film, “Red River of Life,” was shown. The wonder of God’s handiwork in creating the human body demanded a response. The lineman with all the questions went forward at the invitation. His friend followed him into an inquiry room. There the big lineman became small. He bowed his head and trusted Jesus Christ for his salvation. The two friends became brothers in Christ. They began to pray for their high school, their teammates and coaches that they too would come to know the Savior of the world. They talked and prayed about their future.

College took the two friends off in different directions. Preparation for Christian service in Bible College and seminary took the halfback to distant cities. The lineman became a banker in his hometown. But he was restless. He wanted to know the Bible. He wanted to teach the Bible. There was only one thing to do. He enrolled in seminary. Four years later he graduated and took a pastorate. For over thirty years the two friends kept in touch. They were teammates in the body of Christ. Each pastored a church. They could go months without conversing, but when they did they picked up right where they left off. Theological problems, Bible interpretation, and the burdens that go with caring for a flock became their running conversation into the winter of their life. The years had passed so quickly. The playing fields of their youth had long ago yielded to the responsibilities of family and church. Grey hairs had replaced crew-cuts.

One of the most valuable possessions we can own is a genuine, lasting friendship. A true friendship weathers the winds of time (Prov. 17:17; 18:24). Love and loyalty bind two people together and overcomes distance and difficulties. A true friend will accept you as you are, even with your annoying habits and idiosyncrasies. Many a pretended friend has been found to be like a butterfly, fluttering through one’s life to get what they want and then they are gone. Friends tell one another the truth (Prov. 27:6 “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”). Real love is made out of truth, not lies and deception. That is why a genuine friendship can be a source of good advice (Prov. 27:9 “Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel.”). The disciples had no greater friend than Jesus. He taught them how to forgive, told them how to get along, and was loyal to them even when they abandoned Him. There is a song that in some ways has become worn by its use, yet its truth is a comfort; “What a friend we have in Jesus” (Jn. 15:14 “You are My friends, if you do what I command you.”).

There is a sense in which our friendships, forged in the family of God, can portray the beauty of the Savior’s friendship with us. A relationship where two walk together in God’s truth, who sacrifice for one another, encourage one another, and have their eyes set on that sweet arrival in heaven, has the look of Christ about it. How sad it is to see men who come to the winter of life and have no male friends. How thankful I am for the men in our church with whom I can pray, laugh, receive counsel, and shepherd the flock of God. It is also a special grace that in this winter of my own life I recently had the joy of spending time with my old friend who threw that block for me under the lights a long time ago.

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church