mean by rockish? Man I hope he isn't going to go off on music." But it
actually has nothing to do with music at all...in fact it has to do
with my best friend. Just imagine two kids going around doing who
knows what and as you see them and realize they're 16 and doing this
stuff still you just think, "Man, will they ever grow up?" Well that
was me and my friend Chase. The memories go as far back as to playing
T-ball and giving him the nickname of chestnut all the way to a couple
days before I left for the MTC. I honestly can't think of anyone else
I know who is as strong mentally and physically as him. Yesterday as
church ended I got a text from President Reynold's asking us to call
him...and assuming (as always) that I was in trouble for something I
prepared myself for a rebuking. But nothing could have prepared me
enough to hear him say that my friend had passed away from cancer that
he has been battling since we were around 12 or 13 years old.
It was so incredibly hard to hear but my thoughts went immediately to
his family and wanting to be there for them was the hardest part. Then
all the many memories of playing baseball and video games and using
our imaginations when those summer days got long inside this really
big box called DA BOX pretending to be spongebob and Patrick from that
one episode of spongebob all came back. But the one memory that
actually brought peace to my mind was I remember visiting him in the
hospital and seeing him after some treatments. He didn't look happy at
all and I can only imagine what it was like...but then the thought
that came after that was how he's not going through that anymore. And
now he can be completely pain free. Then as if he wanted to mess with
me one last time another thought came to my mind that both made me
laugh and tear up a little. You see, one time he had this rock that he
named rockish (get it now?) and I tried explaining that it's just a
silly rock and that if he were to lose it he'd just end up forgetting
about it. And well, to prove that he'd forget I took it and threw it.
Well, he never forgot...the last time we saw each other as well as
some other times through email, he reminded me that he still
remembers. And he got that into my head one last time.
Losing those you love is never easy. But thanks to the atonement of
Christ and his love and grace, we will be with those who we love
again. Honestly, I would have thought that getting a call like this
while on my mission would be one of the hardest things. And even
though it was super hard, it was bearable because of how strongly I
can feel my heavenly father's love and how I know he's just looking
down on me now. I'm gonna miss him more than anything. But I know
without a single bit of doubt, I will get to see him again. I know
that he is better now. But more than anything I know Christ suffered
for us so that we could have this peace that comes with events like
this and I know that as we put our faith in him, he will be there for
us, comfort us and walk right next to us as long as we need him there.
And of that I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
This picture can pretty much sum up how chase and I were and how we still are.
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