Screen-Shot-2013-01-01-at-12.01.37-PMAs the clock ticked ever closer to midnight last night, a series of events and conversations took place through facebook that gave me a powerful reminder of what it means to live out “Love Does.” This morning I awoke to a new year and a very heavy heart. Let me give you some detail first…

In one of the most remarkable moments of my life, I ran into a high school friend in Maryland while I was traveling for business several years ago. The full story is HERE. The short version is that I ran into a guy I thought the world of in high school. He had the world be the tail back then. His future was so bright. When I ran into him he was broken down and fighting demons of drug addiction. Over the next several months we would remain in contact with one another. Eventually we scraped together funds to help him move to a homeless shelter in Miami. There he got clean, got support and put his life together. My last contact with him was that he was moving from the shelter and had secured a position at a local grocery store. Through the years I often think of him and wonder where he is.

Last night I found out….

untitledApparently my friend was picked up in Miami in November on a cocaine charge. The picture on this post crushed me. He looks terrible. The demons that chase him continue to eat away at his once promising future. Immediately I was reminded that to live a life that “Love Does” like Bob Goff talks about in his book, we pursue people like Jesus did. We love people like Jesus did. Even with the scars. Even with the demons.

I have no idea how to do this, but I am 100% determined to get to my friend. I need to find him. I need to again breathe whatever life into him that I can. I need to give him hope and maybe, just maybe, remind him of all that he can still achieve in this life. If anyone has resources to connections in Miami, as far as I know he is currently being held there. For now I will write a letter and hope it gets to him. I am praying for God to open doors.

I need to get to my friend.

Because that’s what Love Does.

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