I must tell you of a friend of mine. His name is Jonathan. When I first met him, he was a train wreck, spiritually. He was raised in a very “sober” religious environment. No, I’m not talking about alcohol. I’m talking about the kind of environment where you did not smile, laugh, clap your hands, life your hands, or generally anything of that nature.

When he first heard me talk of intimacy with God, he wondered if that was possible. After all, He was God and we, well, we were mere mortals. I liked him immediately. He has a wonderful, committed Christian wife who has been an encouragement to him and by his side for several years now. He also has two wonderful sons. One of which, I had the privilege of holding only a few hours after he was born.

Jonathan has come a long way. Watching him grow in his relationship with Jesus has been nothing short of amazing. He sat wide eyed with wonder as the Word was taught. Unknown to me at the time, he hung on every word I spoke, yet went home and “searched the Scriptures to see if these things were so.”

At times he disagreed with me. (He will laugh when he reads this because he has a particular way of being straight forward. If you didn’t know him, you would think he was being rude. But that is just his way and I love him for it). We would sit often and talk on about a wide variety of topics in the Word, and he would often say, “I need to think about that one.” And think he did. He would come back and we would talk more and more, mostly agreeing, and occasionally, disagreeing – but always agreeably.

You should of seen the look on his face when I told him (yes, I didn’t ask him) that he was speaking the following Wednesday evening. Yet giving him increasing opportunities to speak only confirmed what God has called him to do. To teach. His style is different from mine and that is fine. God wants to make men in His image, not mine. And the time came, March 2008, when we did ordain him a Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I write this because I just got a letter from him. Him and his wife attended a writers conference and he was given an exercise of brainstorming for 5 minutes, then writing “to a person you respected and who made a significant impact to your life.” He chose me. He had a lot of wonderful things to say, which was a relief. You see, he has seen me at my best and my worst – yet, he has continued to choose to be my friend. And in reality, what he sees is Jesus in me, and that is the best thing a Bible Teacher and Pastor could ever hope for.

I love him like a son. You see, I never had any sons. God gave me daughters who are like 10 sons to me. But if I did have a son, I would want one like Jonathan. To me, he is my spiritual son in the faith.

God bless you, Jono. You (and your family) will always have a place in my heart…