Life Is Too Short

Lunch with Ernesto at El Jimador in Thornton, Colorado | March 17, 2010

In January 2009 I parted ways with a good friend. We had some differences and decided it was a good idea to put some time between us before we tried to work things out. Shortly after we went our separate ways he was diagnosed with cancer in his throat. As he struggled through his chemotherapy sessions I encouraged him via the Internet. I wasn't sure if showing up in person would bless him or not so I kept my distance. After the chemotherapy, the cancer went into remission and he slowly began to gain his health back. It had been about a year since we had last met or talked in person when he called me up. He invited my wife and me over so we could sit with him and his wife and work things out between us. We accepted the invitation and that evening we cleared the air and were restored. He told me that life was too short for us to have issues between us. His bout with cancer had helped to put things in perspective. It helped him to understand what was really important in life—family and friends. From that point on we began to have lunch on a monthly basis; sometimes twice a month. It was good to have my ol’ friend back. Years ago, he was the one who took me under his wing when I was lost. He worked with me, prayed with me, prayed for me, and helped me to understand what a relationship with Yeshua was supposed to be like.

In December 2010 he and his wife joined our fledgling community. It was God’s timing. We were in the process of establishing elders in our community and, to make a long story short, Ernie was affirmed as an elder along with me. What an exciting time to be servicing God once again with my ol’ friend and mentor. Today, the community laid hands on us, prayed over us, and installed us as elders at The Front Range Messianic Community. We've got a lot of work ahead of us, but that's what we are called to do; that's what charges us.

Life is too short to hold grudges against friends, especially when there’s still a lot of work to be done for the Kingdom.


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