Life Long Friend
Lee and I grew up together on the same street. On summer days we’d hop on our bikes and pedal down to Shaw’s pharmacy and spend our allowance on baseball cards and fire balls. We played countless basketball games at each other’s court, swam at the community pool and played on the same little league team.
We endured our parent’s divorce during our formative years, leaving us both on shaky ground. Neither of our father’s had the capacity to help us navigate manhood, so we did the best we could. We tried to live good lives, but eventually followed our friends into experimenting with smoking and drinking. Once this began, the tide took us deeper into drugs and other misdeeds.
Lee quit high school and joined the army. I went to college.
Searching for Joy
While in college, I pursued worldly pleasures I thought would bring me joy. I almost lost a scholarship my mother worked hard to secure. During fifty cent beer night, I was arrested for DUI. As I sat in jail, before my buddies bailed me out, I realized my life was on a downward trajectory. I knew I needed God, but didn’t know how to approach Him. My experience with ‘born again’ Christians seemed to be a life of joyless rules.
In the meantime, Lee was on a similar downward spiral. He landed in jail for drug possession in California. During the incident, he was introduced to Jesus Christ as a personal Savior, not a rule demanding kill joy. His life was truly changed and he couldn’t wait to tell me.
Lee’s Questions
One day, when Lee was on furlough and I was home for the weekend, he asked me, “Robby, do you think you’re going to heaven?
“Yea,” I replied.
“How do you know?”
“I believe in Jesus, like it says in the Bible,” I replied. “I haven’t killed anybody and I’ve lived a pretty good life.”
“But the Bible says you’ll know them by their fruit,” Lee responded.
This took me back. I certainly wasn’t living a life of good fruit.
“If you want joy.” Lee continued. “Your priorities need to be Jesus first, then others and finally yourself.”
“Lee, I’d need to clean my life up first before I could give my life to Jesus.”
“Do you take a bath before you take a shower?” he asked. “Jesus will accept a person exactly where they are.”
Life in Christ
My conversation with Lee was one of the primary seeds God used to bring me to my knees months later. In late summer of 1977, I admitted to the Lord I’d made a mess of my life. I accepted what He’d done on the cross on my behalf and received His life in exchange for my sin. I had no idea what to do next, but my life in Christ had begun.
Lee and I have remained close for almost 60 years now. We realize how rare our friendship is and we don’t take it for granted. It’s extremely comforting to have a bud who’s been in your life for as long as you can remember, especially when life gets hard.
Lee’s Cancer
I got a call from Lee last month informing me there is a lump on his chest. They’d be doing a biopsy soon to see if it’s cancerous. He seemed to be handling it well, but my heart sank. Not Lee. Lord, please not cancer.
The following week he found out he has breast cancer. He told me the plan is to be determined, but he didn’t want to waste this opportunity to magnify the Lord in this very difficult situation.
Lee’s Courage
Lee is one of my heroes. Not only did he care enough to share God’s good news with me, but he models what it looks like to care more about God’s glory than his own welfare.
Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:18b-21 NASB)
He’s fighting to realize and walk in the fact that his well-being is tied to his closeness to God, not in his circumstances.
But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works (Psalm 73:28 NASB).
From Lee’s Journal: 3/5/19 – The early morning awakenings, these are the toughest and yet they bring the most solace. It doesn’t seem I get a lot but I do get a little, and yet I desire more but even then I know not what.
My Prayer
Lord, I thank you for my friend Lee. I cherish his friendship over all these many years. In Christ, I have bold access to your throne. I know You’re able to heal Lee. Will You, please. Also, please honor his request to allow his cancer to glorify You. Use it to bring people closer to You. Draw near to Lee in the early morning hours when he needs to know You’re there. I pray these things in the faithful name of Jesus the Christ.
Novels by the Author:
Rob, I know how precious your friendship with Lee is, and how devastated you must have been on hearing his diagnosis. I am so sorry. I know you are leaning hard into Jesus. I will pray for the healing hands of our Great Physician to touch your friend. I’ll pass this along to Ashley. We love you Brother. Darla
Thanks much Darla. This means so much.
Rob, your candor and transparency in your writings testify to the nature of our forgiving yet powerful God.
Brad, that means the world to me. Praise our Father.
Prayers and meditations for Lee and you. I’ve been on the receiving end of all the love that comes through. It’s really beautiful and peaceful.
Thanks so much Mary. Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Rob, Thank you for sharing some of your and Lee’s testimony. How awe inspiring our Savior is to put you two guys together. Praying that God’s provides His Strength and Courage and Grace to help guide Lee through this.
Thanks so much Brent. I really appreciate you praying for Lee.
Thanks so much for sharing this Rob
Thanks Lee. Please pray for Lee.
Amen, Rob. I really feel challenged and encouraged reading this. Challenged because, well just because cancer sucks. Encouraged because I see God in our trials. When I see people like your friend Lee glorifying and trusting in God through something like this, it reminds me once again, that there really is purpose in our suffering. I do appreciate his courage but I hate that he (and you as a friend) have to go through this. So I guess I also feel torn too. Makes yearning for him all the more real (amen, come Lord Jesus). Praying your prayer above.
Wow. Jeff, thanks so much. When I watch you and you’re dealings with cancer, you encourage me and I see your courage as well. Thanks for your prayers.
Rob,
Lee is lucky to have such a close friend helping him, supporting him and sharing his faith at this difficult time in his life. I pray God will answer our prayers!
Thanks so much Gary. Amen.
Thanks Robbie for sharing your friendship experience with Lee. Will continue to pray for you and Lee, Am reminded of God’s message as David cried out “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death and darkness I will fear no evil, for YOU are with me”Ps.23b Rest in His promise.
I appreciate that so much Earl. Thanks for these words of truth.
Rob,
You’re my dear friend. Thank you for those kind words. I honestly don’t feel deserving, but I receive them from your heart to mine as we indeed are buds. Thank you Rob. That meant a lot. Always your friend, —Lee
Lee, like every thing else we’ll look to the Lord together through this. Lullwater boys together!
Rob, kind of you to write these words of love & appreciation for such a dear friend as Lee. As Lee’s brother & your friend I know your friendship with Lee well, it goes long & deep. Being there for him means the world to him. I too went thru a year of chemo 11 yrs ago. I remember going to God with with only a 20% of living giving it to God saying in prayer “Thy will be done”, feeling God’s presence I knew I would be ok. Lee’s life experience in this will be forevering changing when we are terminal at God’s door. I too used that scripture “to die is to gain”; what a great God we serve in giving us that peace & hope in the mist of the storm. Keeping our eyes & deepest thoughts on Christ is immeasurable. Praying for Lee & as we pray knowing that God has got this is all we need as God is Love….Jim Moseley <
Thanks so much Jim. Lullwater boys forever. Love you.
Lee is such a nice guy and I count him and you , Robby as valued friends!
My prayers and thoughts are with Lee!
Love
Gene
Thank you so much Gene. Please send me an email and tell me of how we can pray for you.
kind of you to write these words of love & appreciation for such a dear friend as Lee. As Lee’s brother & your friend I know your friendship with Lee well, it goes long & deep. Being there for him means the world to him. I too went thru a year of chemo 11 yrs ago. I remember going to God with with only a 20% of living giving it to God saying in prayer “Thy will be done”, feeling God’s presence I knew I would be ok. Lee’s life experience in this will be forevering changing when we are terminal at God’s door. I too used that scripture “to die is to gain”; what a great God we serve in giving us that peace & hope in the mist of the storm. Keeping our eyes & deepest thoughts on Christ is immeasurable. Praying for Lee & as we pray knowing that God has got this is all we need as God is Love….Jim Moseley <
Lee and Rob…my Lullwater friends….beautiful….just beautiful and honest…childhood friends back then were a different breed…..true friendship is hard to find…but I find my truest and best friends ever were from my chikdhood….
May your path in this chapter be the best one yet…I prayer for your healing…..
Love you my Lullwater friend!!!!!!
Thanks so much Robin. We did have quite a great neighborhood. I think it’s rare we all still communicate and encourage one another.
Robby, Sorry I know you as Robby, from “Lullwater” but I see everyone is using Rob. So many memories come to mind as I read this. So thankful for the friendship you and Lee have. Beautiful! A real gift from the Lord. Thanks for taking time to sit down and write and share it. It blesses all of us in the family at this time. Everything you said about Lee at this time is true. He, through the Lord is bringing strength to all of us, of God’s work in a person’s life. Which I can only image isn’t easy. We are drawing strength from the prayers of God’s people and Hope in the Lord. Again your story touched my heart. Thanks, Sterling
Thanks so much Sterling. Please call me Robby. The only reason I changed was that people always spelled it wrong. Yes, what Lee is going through and how he’s trusting God is an encouragement to us all.
That’s what the real meaning of friendship is. ..Great memories….great lifelong friendship
♡R;)
Very true Robin.