My Friend Henry

My cell phone rang in the mid-afternoon last Friday. It was Lincoln, my college fraternity brother telling me that his brother-in-law and my fraternity brother Henry had suffered a heart attack.

I was stunned. After all, it was just three weeks ago that we were together down in the Low Country of South Carolina whacking golf balls around, eating the greatest steaks since the invention of cows, and generally just enjoying ourselves. Now I learn that Henry has had a heart attack.

Hearing the words “heart attack” is a lot like hearing the word “cancer.” The word “heart” and the word “attack” is a frightening pairing of words that strikes fear into the minds of most of us. Heart attacks kill people. Heart attacks are one of the ways that the Grim Reaper reaches his hand into one’s life and snatches their very breath from them.

Fortunately for Henry this wasn’t the case. He went to the doctor in the same office building where he works who in turn had Henry transported to a hospital. Upon arrival at the hospital testing showed that he had a near one hundred percent blockage in one of the arteries leading to his heart.

There were stints placed opening the blockages and blood is now flowing freely again. After a few days in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit Henry will be sent home into the care of his remarkable and grateful wife.

His wife told me that he is going to have to take another week or so off from work and then make some adjustments in his lifestyle but all in all he is going to be good as new. I shed a tear after I talked to her.

Hearing of Henry’s heart attack brought back a lot of memories from me. After all, I’m a pastor and often times I am called give pastoral care to heart attack victims and their families. I lost my father to heart disease and I recall that Henry’s father died of a heart attack as well. His story brought back memories of spending time in hospital waiting rooms and visits to Intensive Care Units.

Then I thought of something else. I was reminded of that day down in Jacksonville. Henry and I have often laughed about it over the years.

Georgia had beaten Florida as was the custom back in those days. We were hanging out in the parking lot outside the stadium after the game when a member of Florida band, a trombone player I believe, walked by the spot where we were celebrating. I made a smart remark to him to which he took offense.

It was fairly clear that he was going to do damage to me with his trombone. Henry intervened and I was spared from being beaten by an irate Florida band member and his lethal trombone. Henry always said that when I became a United Methodist minister he realized that his purpose on earth was to save my life that day so that I could become a pastor and preach the Gospel.

As I said we’ve chuckled over that, but we both know there is more to his story. While I certainly am grateful for his assistance in my moment of stupidity, it is fairly clear that his purpose on earth is far greater than that.

He has been a great husband, a tremendous father, a devoted son, a loyal brother and from my first hand experiences a wonderful friend. He has been successful in his career. Above all he has been a loyal servant of Jesus Christ.

What I also know is that Henry’s purpose on earth is not yet fulfilled. God still has something for him to do. We could have lost him Friday but he has been given another shot at life.

I don’t know what’s out there that God is calling him to do but its there and he will show it to you. I don’t believe that everything happens for a reason or that God has purpose for everything that happens. There is too much suffering and evil in the world for that to be true.

However, I do believe and I do know that God does have a purpose for each of us and a destiny to which we are called.

It is up to each of us to decide if we want to live in accordance with his will and to seek his purpose in our life.

Henry’s story is not yet written and his destiny is not yet fulfilled and because of that we can celebrate. This isn’t only true for Henry but for all of us.

So it is that I thank God for my friend today. I thank God for his friendship. I thank God for his life. I thank God that he is still with us and that he is going to make a difference in our world as he fulfills whatever purpose God has for him.

I’m sure we will rehash the last few days when we gather around the tailgate in Athens this fall.

I can promise one thing—I’m too old to smart off to trombone players these days so I won’t need saving from that. Besides, Henry has a far greater purpose that is his destiny to fulfill. So do we all.