I would like to thank everyone that has been praying for me & the family of my friend. Please continue to pray for my friend's family. The funeral has not happened, but was assured by my friend's son that he would give me details when it will happen.
I have stopped asking "what if..." & have started asking "what now..." It's always good to look at the past for honest reflection too see the situations & opportunities I had missed. But, knew that I could now stay there. The reality is that what is in the past is in the past & cannot be changed for my friend. However, for me everything can change as I have moved from looking back to looking forward asking "what now..."
"What now..." is me looking in myself for honest observation to see how I have changed because of the missed opportunities & how I want to act from now on.
Many days because we were friends I would drive by & only wave or roll down my car window to say a short "hi" as I was going to & returning from my work (serving other people.) I said to myself many times that because we were friends we did not need to talk every time we saw each other. This is true, but at the same time taking the time to ask "how are you" & waiting/listening to my friends response in my busyness would have showed love & respect for my friend & our friendship.
"Jesus answered 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind'...And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.'" Matthew 22:36 & 39
When we are going through difficult things or something in our life scares us we likely do not actively look for a friend & speak up to share whats going on. We usually keep it inside until we are asked by a friend who takes the time to ask "how are you?" After we have been asked do we share what we need & maybe ask for help.
I have been reading articles from Psychology Today magazine stating that through social media we are more "connected" than ever, but loneliness is the highest it's ever been. We are surrounded by people everyday, but few ask, why because we are busy.
Many times the most important thing is not the obvious thing, my neighbour.
