I Love You Man

This blog is dedicated to all my bro’s out there.  Love each and every one of you, near and far.

So, at church we’ve been talking about authentic relationships and different kinds of love.  Dave challenged us a couple weeks ago to decide how many truly authentic relationships we have based on a couple questions: would you willingly lay down your life for this person?  Would you stop in an instant to help them?  Do you cry when they cry, rejoice when they rejoice, and feel pain when they are hurt?  There were a few other questions, but you get the point.  This caused someone like me with quite the number of people in my life to think about who is genuinely an authentic friend. 

From there Dave went on to talk about the different kinds of love.  There’s the “puppy love” I love you, the romantic I love you, the friendship I love you man, and then of course the authentic I love you.  Sitting there, thinking about who I legitimately love I of course thought of a few very specific people, but the whole idea sat with me until the following Saturday when I received a very unexpected phone call.

I have a buddy who I’ve now known for about 2 years.  He’s a spectacular guy whom I have a lot of admiration for.  A long time ago when we were parting ways for the night, in the middle of our “bro hug” he said something to me, “Johnny, you’re like a brother to me man.  I mean like, a real brother.  I just wanted you to know that.”  This was huge for me because I knew that he didn’t toss that word around very loosely.  Ever since, we don’t get to see each other all too often, but when we do, we make the most of it. 

Well, Saturday I’m preparing things for day street at work and I notice my phone ringing with his name popping up in the caller id screen.  Knowing that occasions of him calling are very few and far between I definitely picked up.  He was calling to see if I knew anyone that could cover his shift at work on Thursday as it is not only Thanksgiving, but also his birthday.  He had been very tied up with dealing with a very close loss, and hadn’t been able to request it off.  I gave him a couple names, apologized that I no longer worked for the company and was unable to assist, and was just about to say goodbye before I heard a pause over the line. 

“Johnny?”

“yeah man?”

“I just wanted you to know I love you man.  I mean that.”

“Thanks dude, I really love you too.  I’m always here if you need anything man.”

At that moment I realized something.  He considers me to be one of his truly authentic relationships that he can be 100% vulnerable to and not afraid of repercussions.  I also realized in that moment that I too considered him to be one.  There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him if I had the ability to do it.  That brief phone conversation really brought home what Dave had been talking about the week before at church.  Would I cry when this friend cries?  You better believe it.  Would I rejoice when he is rejoicing?  Without a doubt.  And does my heart break when he is hurting?  More than one could know. 

I’ve got a few guys like this in my life, and I hope that each and every one of them knows who they are.  My bros are my guys who have poured out their love and lives into me time and time again.  Guys who at the drop of a hat, I would be there for in an instant.  Dudes who I know I can not only pray with and about, but also that they will do the same for and with me.  My bros are guys that I know I can always count on, and that can always count on me.  I love each and every one of you, and I hope that you know it’s just an “I love you man” type of love, but that deep seeded truly authentically relational type of love.  You’ve been there for me before, are there for me now, and I know will be there until the end.

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