TAGGED, I'M IT...

I was tagged by SelahV to play an information disclosure game.

EACH PERSON TAGGED starts with: 7 random facts/habits about themselves. You must write on your own blog about the seven things as well as the rules. Then you need to tag others and list their names. Then you leave them a comment on their blog telling them that they've been tagged and to read your blog. I definitely do not know 7 bloggers; so I suppose this will be for a few curious eyes. Here's the first thing you should know about me. I don't follow directions very well--the Number 0 below is just free information.

Number 0: I swore I would never do a job that involved working with children. If you notice the picture in this blog, I spend every day in a school--teaching 5th grade students! Never say never.

Number 1: I am deathly afraid of clowns (Lord only knows what they hide behind all that make-up!), caves (Wound up knee deep in one as a child--bad experience), and cats.

Number 2: I met Big Daddy Weave at a concert. When one of them said, "Hey, how are you doing today?" I could only say, "Thanks." With his question, I could have taken that conversation to a completely different level!

Number 3: I participated in world missions by traveling to Poland to teach in an English Bible camp.

Number 4: One of the literary characters I admire most is Jo March from Little Women. I just wonder when my Professor Bear is going to show up??!!?

Number 5: I am one of the lucky people in the world to have a lifelong friend. We were born one month apart, slept in the playpen together, and went all the way through school in the same classes. I do not know life without her. Even to this day, we see each other at least once a week. She knows the best and worst of me--I'm glad she's the only one.

Number 6: I sold one of my homemade carrot cakes with caramel and cream cheese icing for $175 at my school's fall festival.

Number 7: I am an existentialist--can't stand to not have the answers to all of my burning questions. Actually, it keeps me awake most nights!

Childhood Friendship

Have you ever known a person that didn't disappoint you? I have...

Once upon a time, I met a friend that was truer than a brother. He soared into my life for a very short season, and impacted me in a million different ways. Chad became the brother I never had. He also turned out to be the one person who truly never disappointed me.

Many years ago, I pinpointed the exact source of our connection. It had to be God. He knew that our hearts would have to be connected across great distance and time. I consider this the one perfect friendship I have had. I loved Chad because he first loved me. He put no conditions on our relationship, and that made "playing the game" with him so much easier.

Even as young as we were, our thoughts and words were deep. Our friendship was the best kept secret in our little country church. If people had known, they would have never understood. People in a small town simply do not understand that a boy and girl can be best friends. He drew pictures of dogs and trees for me. I wrote poetry for him. After reading my poems he always said, "You make a grown boy like me cry." I think the words were always etched on his heart. Once, he drew a picture of a tree with the sun shining bright behind it. I said, "I've never seen this tree before." Chad's beautiful reply was, "You will when we live side by side in Heaven." I regret that I have lost the picture, but the memory is so very vivid. That tree has been planted in Heaven.

There are so many things I wish I had told him. But, what could I have told him that he didn't already know? Our feelings were sealed deep inside us long ago. Besides, I wouldn't have wanted to disappoint him. I'm glad that Chad had only good things to meditate on concerning me. I praise God that Chad remembered me in my youth. I rejoice over the exuberant joy I feel when I think of him now. I am deeply moved when I close my eyes and God affords me the opportunity to come face to face with my friend--my childhood friend.