You changed the world in a mighty way

My dear friend, Bobby Black, died last week.  He had struggled with that hated disease Cancer for more time than should be allowed, which would be no time at all.  I have had family members to die before.  From my time as a teacher, I have known several previous students to die.  Bobby's death wasn't the first I have experienced.  But his death has stirred something in me that I have never experienced - EVER! Bobby was that kind of person.

As I struggle with my own grief - that I didn't spend more time with him, that we didn't find the time to share about life, that I miss him terribly - I wanted to write about him, to let you know what kind of person he was, how he taught me about Jesus and joy and genuineness in a way that no one else ever has, how he has changed the way I live my life (as well as 1000s of others - I'm not exaggerating) and how the light that he shared with the world might impact you through my words.
 
For the past 2-3 weeks, I have thought of Bobby every single day in some way.  I see a picture of him.  I remember how he made me laugh.  I remember the times we spent together. 

At Bobbyfest [a great celebration of his life after the funeral where we laughed and cried the whole time], I heard it over and over and over...

• He was full of joy
• He was the most genuine and authentic person I ever met
• I thought that we had a close relationship that was unique, and it turned out that so did the 800 other people at the funeral.
• He loved him some Jesus
• He loved me so well
• He always had a smile on his face

During the funeral, I thought of an exercise I've done with my youth before.  We wonder together what we would want people to say about us at the end of our lives.  What will you be remembered for, what was important to you, how did you impact others, etc.
 
No lie, Bobby's funeral was the epitome of the funeral everyone wants.  I'm hopeful that my words don't feel forced or fake, as if I'm just saying some nice things, creating a blog post to get people to read my post.  I can assure you - I'm not the journaling kind of guy.  The kind of person Bobby was in these words (no exaggeration at all) is the kind of person he really and truly was.
 
As I reflected on his life and our relationship these past few weeks, I really have spent a good bit of time thinking about how he lived his life and what a shining example of what a follower of Jesus looked like.  It really has changed the way I look at life and my prayer is that his life will have a lasting impact on how I live out my life - how I treat others, how I love my friends, how I exude joy.
 
Many of you remember the WWJD SWAG (What would Jesus Do).  It was a helpful way to think about how your faith impacts the entirety of your life.  For the most part, it was helpful, though it sometimes fell apart when you wondered what would Jesus drive, what kind of house would Jesus live in, what kinds of clothes would Jesus wear.  I digress...
 
Someone mentioned at the Bobbyfest that we should make up some bracelets - WWBD (What would Bobby Do).  A friend told me that the best way to honor Bobby is to live your life like he did.  He would wholly disagree with this.  He would tell us the best way to honor him is to live our life like Jesus, serving Him.  That's what he did.


At Bobbyfest, there was time to share about how Bobby had impacted our lives.  At least 2 people shared about their children who had become a follower of Jesus because of their relationship with Bobby.  One of these folks was now a missionary.  

Not only did Bobby impact my life in a powerful and life-changing way, I was blown away at some of my other friends and how they cared for him during the last months of his life.  My roommate in college who was one of Bobby's closest friends.  He put together regular e-mails to Bobby's friends to update them on his health, how we could care for Bobby, what we could pray for, etc.  It was a way for me to connect with Bobby, knowing that I couldn't spend time with him face-to-face.
  

To my good friend Adam, 

thank you for showing me what it means to be a true friend.

2 other friends told Bobby several months ago that they were his bucket list crew (I have no idea if this was their official title but it sure sounds catchy).  They were going to make his bucket list a reality.  So, the 2 of them took time from work to take him to the Grand Canyon.  On the day of his funeral, they were supposed to be in Puerto Rico with their toes in the sand.



 

To my good friends Butch and Patrick, 

thank you for showing me what it means to love.

 

This is a video tribute from a dear friend for a dear friend.  The first part of the video is from the camp where he worked every summer. The second song is by one of my favorite artists - Kyle Matthews. What a fitting tribute to a great man.  If nothing else, listen to the lyrics. They're powerful!
 

You changed the world in a mighty way.

You may not think you changed the world 

but you sure changed the world for me.

Bobby, my dear friend - I miss you terribly.  I know that you no longer are in pain, and for that I'm grateful, but I still miss you. I pray that the impact you had in my life will continue to be a witness to me as I seek to be a faithful follower of Jesus.  I pray that maybe just hearing about my experience with Bobby will give you pause to think about how your faith can impact this world in a powerful way and that we all give thought to how we go about living in our lives in such a way that honors God.  
 
My favorite quote, attributed to St. Francis - preach the gospel. When necessary, use words.  Bobby - I'm grateful that your life impacted so many people in this world simply by the way you lived it.  Thank you for your witness.  Thank you for being my friend.  

Oh yeah - I will look forward to whipping you in tennis when we reunite.