Buddies

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.

Glancing into the bleachers as she passed the basketball to a teammate, Carrie did a quick double take. “Jack came to my game?” Her mind whirled as she raced up and down the court, processing that her mom’s fiancé was at her basketball game solo. With her mom needing to work full time, Carrie wasn’t accustomed to having anyone in the stands to cheer specifically for her. And yet there Jack was, and there he would continue to be, throughout her junior high and high school sports career.

Carrie first met her stepdad, Jack, at the awkward age of twelve. A man with an observant, gentle heart, he asked if they could be buddies—a role meant to be carved out and defined by the two of them without intruding on parental or other traditionally defined relationships. Jack’s steady presence, patient love, and gentle ways were a gift Carrie didn’t know she needed but now credits as the best present she’s ever received.

His arrival in her life was perfectly timed, and he remained a quiet, loving influence even as Carrie got married, became a pharmacist, and raised her children with all of the highs and lows that go into navigating life.

I had the privilege of knowing Jack, and he was just as Carrie describes him: unassuming and kindhearted, with an unexpected twist of funny. The love described in today’s verses was the kind Jack epitomized. His influence was no less potent for being quiet, and his legacy is one any of us would be proud to have.

We can have a similar legacy—no special degrees, fancy titles, or particular skill sets required. It’s as simple (and as difficult) as routinely and intentionally showering the love defined in 1 Corinthians 13 onto those around us. As we do that, even imperfectly, we’ll transform situations and relationships in ways that will have an impact long after we’ve gone home to heaven.

Julie

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Who has been a Jack in your life? Let them know how much they’ve meant to you. Prayerfully consider who in your circles needs a Jack and how you might respond.