Monday, July 13, 2009

The Comfort

...the indescribable joy of a best friend


My hope is that everyone has a "best friend". My best friend (other than my spouse) is my buddy, Rev. Ken Savage. He and I crossed paths about 1982 or so at our church, now known as The Heights, but originally called Richardson Heights Baptist Church.


He and his wife, I and my wife, watched each other's children grow up. We shared job struggles together, child raising together, and so many other things. Even though my rational brain can put a date on it, I usually can't remember a time when Ken wasn't part of my life. We share so many things: a love of God, love of family, love of music (blues & rock) and so much more. One of my favorite memories was the occasion of mine & Donna's 20th wedding anniversary when the four of us were hosted for a weekend cruise on Lake Texoma on a 57 foot yacht. My other favorite memory is from 2001, when I had surgery, he was kicked out of my hospital room by the nurses because they were afraid our laughter would tear my stitches. Later he brought me videos of old comedy shows to watch while I healed up. As the Bible says, laughter is good medicine. He and I have shared plenty of said medicine.


When I lost my mother in 1998, he was one of my first phone calls. When he lost his brother recently, my phone rang. When my son and his wife lost a baby in 2007, he was my first phone call. When either of us needs to vent over almost anything, our numbers are on each other's speed dial. I know that if I called him in the middle of the night and asked for help, he wouldn't ask what or why, he'd just hang up and start driving towards me. I'd do the same.


There is a joy in feeling comfortable with a close friend, knowing that I can say anything at all to him, yell, vent, cry, whatever--and he'll keep that which is worth keeping, and like a kind wind, blow away and not remember that which should be forgotten.


Friends like that don't come along every day. Dr. Savage, my friend, I love you. Philippians 1:3


Blessings,
Ken

p.s. Given that we're both associated with LoveNotesWeddings, I love it when wedding coordinators and venue folks refer to us as "the Kens".

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