This weekend I had the chance to stand in the wedding of a good friend. For those thinking of getting married soon, choosing the perfect ring for you and your partner can be a headache at times but good thing that there are sites now which offer beautiful yet budget-friendly rings, like these titanium wedding rings online, for example. Charles served alongside me in college ministry at Emmanuel Faith. Charles is one of the hardest workers I know and one of the most gifted evangelists on college campuses that I have met. Not only that, but we had a GREAT time serving together. There are too many stories to tell in this allotted space, but over the last few days I have been reflecting on what makes Charles such a good minister and good friend. Funny, I think it’s the same thing in each case.
I ran across a portion of a book that I think summaries it well. In A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, Donald Miller tells the story of Jim and Janice, who was diagnosed with cancer and didn’t live long after her diagnosis. After her funeral, a lot of family friends gathered and shared stories and memories of times with her. Miller writes,
“I wondered, how much it costs to be rich in friends and how many years and stories and scenes it takes to make a rich life happen. You can’t build an end scene as beautiful as this by sitting on the couch.”
That’s what I love about Charles. He might put 8000 miles on his car in a given month, but it was all because he believes that being with people is more important than sleep (or gas money)! For months while he dated his now wife, he traveled multiple time per week back and forth between Escondido and Fullerton. He wasn’t going to miss out on time with Phylicia, but he also wasn’t going to neglect the calling that God had given him to build into the lives of college students. He always has time, even if he doesn’t have time. It was so fun to see all of his friends gathered around him this weekend celebrating his life – a life shaped by being with and loving people.
At a certain point last weekend we were sitting around a pool late at night and Charles made the statement, “I feel like a wealthy man.” And he is! Maybe not in a monetary way, but I think we can all agree that money has never made someone truly wealthy anyway. It’s not money that makes a life overflow; it’s people.
I was reminded this weekend as I observed and participated in Charles’ life that the life given away is the life that is truly full.
I’m grateful for the reminder and pray that it would shape my life… And yours too.
