A Friend Named Craig

Sometimes life happens. You can be close friends with someone early in life and be separated later on. This is what happened with Craig and I.

I knew Craig as a teenager. We were in the youth group together back in the late 80s and very early 90s. Craig and I didn't know each other really well at first. However, that all changed in August of 1990 when we went to Centrifuge.

Centrifuge is a week-long Christian camp for teenagers. It's designed to both reach teens for Christ and strengthen the walk of those that already know Him. They have a lot of fun and games for them in addition to Bible studies. They divide you up into Bible study groups with people from other churches.

Our youth group was the biggest group there, so it was mathematically impossible to completely separate our youth group. Craig was in my Bible Study, and he helped me a lot by pushing me around in my wheelchair, writing for me, etc.

Each day after Bible study, our group had what was called Recreation, which was where we played games that required teamwork. The second full day we were there we were going outside as a group not knowing our destination. When Craig realized where we were going, he said, "I can't do it! I can't do it!" I turned my head toward him and asked, "What's wrong?" He replied, "I'm afraid of heights!" Our destination involved going over a twelve-foot wall!

This was a wooden wall attached between two trees. On the backside of the wall, there were two ledges; one near the top, and one near the bottom. Also, there was a ladder attached to the wall.

I was the polar opposite of Craig. I was like "Yeah! Let's go!" Because of my disability, it was a challenge, but they got me over the wall. Shortly after that happened, Craig came to me and said, "I'm gonna do it!" As he went over the wall, I cheered him on. His decision to do it was truly amazing when you consider what happened when I was going down the ladder.

I had never gone down a ladder before, so I had trouble getting started. My problem was I didn't bring my hands down resulting in me getting stuck near the top of the wall. The guy helping me either gave out or slipped and fell at least ten feet down. The miraculous part of that story was the fact that this guy landed on his back and got up unhurt!

Craig had a front row seat to this. He was waiting for me to come down to help me get back in my wheelchair. He saw that guy fall, which should have multiplied his fear by at least 10,000. However, he decided to go over the wall anyway. If we all had faith like that!

Craig was the nucleus of our youth group. He was always there, always cheerful (which could be annoying at times). When it was time to learn about God's Word, whether it was Sunday School, Wednesday nights, a seminar, etc., he was like a sponge soaking up every drop. He was hungry for God.

When he went off to college, we slowly drifted apart. Now, I wish I had taken time to rekindle that friendship. I was friends with him on Facebook, so I had no excuse. That's something I'll have to live with. However, the news isn't all bad. I know where he is now, and I know I'll see him again.

If you have a friend you haven't spoken to, but who's been on your mind, reach out to them. If you have a best friend, tell them how you feel. It'll bring both of you closer.