The friend who would not die on me

We all die.

Sooner or later, we all die.

Reading the news, hearing from people of people who have lost loved ones… We all feel sad, but never really understanding the real pain they feel. We’ll never truly understand until we’ve gone through it ourselves. In comforting others, the most we can do is imagine.

While exercising my imagination, with the help of my friend who has gone through loss, I was barely deep in it when I felt this… fear.

One by one, I went through all my loved ones, and grieved that I can lose them one day. It didn’t matter if they were young or old, healthy or not, life can just end anytime for anyone.

To go through loss over and over, as more and more loved ones die, painted me a scary picture. Every person I invest my life in will just die. All the time I spent with them all to develop an intimate relationship will be gone. I could lose them all.

I’ll be alone.

For every friend I have, I don’t know how long they will live. How can I choose my best friend? The friend who will walk with me everyday for the rest of my life right to my death bed.

I want to know, so I’ll know who I can depend on to always be there.

And it suddenly occurred to me. My friend.

My friend who I deserted. My friend who I was annoyed at. My friend who I was lazy to keep in touch with… This is the friend who would walk with me every day for the rest of my life. The friend who would not die on me.

The answer just slaps me in the face. As much as I try to run... As much as I hate to say it and sound all "oh-so-typically-holy"...

The answer just comes back to being, my friend...

Jesus.