A Friend Named John

 

This week we are morning the loss of a friend. The strange thing about it is that I didn’t even know his last name. In fact neither did anyone else. He was just “John”. (We did find out later.) We met him at the food/care ministry my wife and I volunteer at. At first meeting, I could only describe him as the closest thing to a bridge troll I’ve ever met. He was kind of shaggy, grumpy and wore a constant frown. But he was there every day we were open. Shortly after Covid relaxed, we started to see a change. We give gift cards for memorizing the verse of the month. He said every verse. He started helping the kids that came learn it. He often gave the cards to someone else who needed it more. He started volunteering on the days we pass out food. One time he ask me to pray that he could get a car - and God provided. His smile was infectious. The change was amazing. One of my favorite memories was when he gave a short sermon. 

He pulled out a package of rolling papers. (Hey, I would have used a register receipt, but he knew the crowd.) He asked, What is this? Someone from the back answered, “Rolling papers”. He nodded his head. Then he said, This one has a red line on it. What does that mean?” Someone else said, “It means you are almost out”. He looked intently at the crowd and said, “Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a red line? Well, we don’t. So close the gap with God now.” <<Mike Drop>> 

He just continued to grow. One Wednesday as he sat at the table with my wife as they were preparing food bags he smiled and said, Who’d a thought a guy like me would be sitting with a girl like you doing this?” About 2 weeks ago, he brought my wife a brass plaque he had found in a box of miscellaneous thinks he purchased. It said FOUND. That’s what happened. God found him, and he was forever grateful. 

Someday John Perrie, someday, we’ll get to sit together at the Banquet Table again. And won’t it awkward or unusual, just friends reunited. RIP my friend!