On the One-Year Anniversary of My Friend's Death

DSC_7922

I’m misting up again. Maybe a little more than misting, to be honest, and it’s a little embarrassing, because I’m sitting in Chick-fil-A as I type this, and if anybody’s looking, they can see it.

But I don’t really care.

One year ago this afternoon, I got a phone call that was the hardest one I’ve ever taken in my nearly 50 years of living: one of my best friends on earth, Rusty Snyder, had suddenly been ushered into the presence of Jesus. Now, from the perspective of eternity, that’ll be a wonderful, great, incredible thing upon which we’ll look back and say, “thank You, Lord; Your timing was perfect and your plan unparalleled”.

But it didn’t feel real great a year ago, and truth be told, it doesn’t feel real great right now.

Because I still miss my friend. Tremendously. I remind myself, in my mind, of his laugh and his face and his expressions and his voice, because I don’t want to forget any of that. RVCS, our alma mater, has done a good job of memorializing him, naming the athletic field in his honor, and in a couple months, they’ll hold the first annual Rusty Snyder Memorial Golf Tournament. I’ll be in Roanoke, teeing it up with the rest of them. It’ll be bittersweet, to be sure. I remember the last time I played golf with Rusty; it’s been many years, when I lived in North Carolina. I was playing with a cheap golf ball–and I do mean cheap. About the 16th or 17th tee, I crushed a shot with my 2-iron. Actually, I may not have actually crushed it; we’ll never know, because the thing flew almost immediately into two halves. I kid you not. Rusty was full of smart remarks; all I could talk about was the massive power in my biceps that could do such a thing to a golf ball. Of course, the challenge was, which half do I play? Good times…

Anyway, I’ve reproduced below, in Rusty’s honor, the several posts I put up on my blog, beginning that day and continuing for a week. As you think about it, pray for his dear widow, Sherry, as well as his girls Jessica, Ashley, and Beth today, and his mom, Jane, his dad Russell, and his little brother, Mike. Thanks for reading.

My Best Friend Died this Afternoon

Rusty Set the Record

For Those Who Did Not Know Rusty…and for Those Who Did


Lessons from the Life of Rusty Snyder

Leave a Comment