Old Friends

This is my first entry, so pardon me if it seems to run about with no apparent format or style.

For the past few days, I've been thinking about friends from my past. Wondering where they all are today. What are they doing? Are they alive and well? Do they have a relationship with God?

Since I joined the Marine Corps at an early age, I left home and many people behind. Then after the Marines, I've been from Miami to Detroit and Atlanta to San Antonio. I've live in alot of places. (My credit sheet with equifax shows 24 addresses since 1997).

Said that to say this, I've met alot of people all over. Most of my close friends from my childhood are easily reachable, but do I want to reach them....? Not really, ok maybe one or two.

My brothers from the Marine Corps are all spread out everywhere, I've have not been able to reach any.

From the period where I was married to my first wife, I had several good friends. However she turned most of them in to Benedict Arnold. So be it.

I was single then for about three years. I made many new friends. However, I was separated from God and they were too. I had very close relationships with most of them. Guys who would drop everything for you at a moments notice a come to your aid.

These are the ones I wonder about. I wonder if I could impact their life now as a born again Christian. Would they reject me and my God.

I have been able to keep in contact with about three of about fifty. When Marianne and I moved to New Orleans in 2005, most all of them forgot about us.

Of the three that we still communicate with, all resist any talks about God. So I spent sometime looking online at www.facebook.com, www.myspace.com, and other social networking sites to locate old acquaintances..... then I realized something.

I realized that its me, I am the one that doesn't want a relationship with them. Is it wrong to wanna forget the past, REPENT and move on. Now that I've cut the ties to my past. I have found a few new friends that share my same beliefs. For me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

You see, while I was on myspace, I found that a few of my old buddies had tried to contact me. All attempts were futile. The last time I had logged on to myspace was before I rededicated my life to Christ and began the journey towards strengthening my faith. Sadly, one message was from an old friend who took his own life a few months ago.

Though I've tried, many of my closest old friends always resist my attempts share the gospel and to lead them towards salvation. I guess I can't beat them with my bible.

So, it's hard when you first cut the ties. Especially if there is a period when you don't have any adult friends. As a man who once had plenty of friends, it's a humbling transition. In reality though, what have I lost?

Now that I have my wife, a two year old and a nine year old. It's clear to me, they're what matters most. So I guess in a way, it's OK.

We have a few new friendships we've established through the church and hopefully they'll become lasting ones. Though as a young married couple we desire more. God willing, in time, we'll become closer to more of the body of believers we worship with.

I don't know if any of this makes sense, but I did to me when I was writing it. What's the point of this blog you may ask? I don't know. If I had to guess, I'd say maybe it is that sometimes you need to Count your losses, forget the past, Repent, then move on and pray for God to send you what you need. In this case I am thinking it's new friends.