Aaron and I met almost 12 years ago as college freshman. We lived four doors apart on Oakwood Second South and formed an initial bond in the weight room. For four years we lifted together and tried different workouts: The 300 workout that the actors in the movie did (this one beat us up but was awesome), Christian Bale's Batman workout and diet (this one only lasted about a month), different circuit workouts, and then there was the year we decided to work up to bench pressing 300 pounds. Lifting with a buddy is important; they push you when you feel like being lazy, they critique your form when you start to slack, they save your life when you try to do too much (Aaron saved me at least twice when I didn't listen to him).
It's been years since we've been able to workout together, but this morning we were back in the gym. We're older, slower, and weaker, (the days of benching 300 are long gone) but it was a good morning. I'm not going to lie, it was the hardest workout I've done in a long time (I felt like I was going to throw up for a majority of it). But having Aaron in the same room made me work harder. As I got tired I was able to push through and finish the third set because I had a buddy (Our roles seem to have shifted in the past few years, I used to be the one with the crazy ideas that he went along with).
Life is like the gym, we aren't made to go it alone. We need each other to push us when we feel like being lazy. We need each other to call us out when our form gets sloppy. We need each other to talk us out of the stupid things we do. We need fellowship. This blog is titled Pr. 18.24 from Proverbs 18.24, "A man of too many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
There are a lot of people in life who don't care about you at all. There are people who are with you during the good times but are no where to be seen when everything falls apart. There is family, who stick by you, and then you have your Proverbs 18.24 brothers. These are the guys you meet along the way, guys who throw their lot in with you and say "I'm with you no matter what." These are the guys you call at two in the morning. They are the ones you pour your heart out to as it breaks, and when it overflows. These are the guys you know have your back no matter what you face. And they are closer than a brother because they choose to stand by you. They aren't under a blood obligation, but a deeper commitment that is ready and willing to bleed for you.
I don't have a lot of friends, and I'm ok with that, because I know the friends I have are with me no matter what; they've proven that time and time again. They have stood by me, and I would not hesitate to do whatever I could to help. During out workout today, this song came up on Aaron's phone:
There is nothing in this world I wouldn't do for my brothers. There is an endless road of life for us to rediscover together and if somewhere along the way the sky comes falling down for you, I've got your back, and I will stand by your side through thick and thin.
God created us to live this way. We were made for deep and meaningful relationships like this. We were made to push each other towards the dreams God places on our hearts. We were made to correct each other when we start to wander from Him. We were made to stand by each other when we decide to be stupid and if we can't prevent it, be there to help pick up the pieces afterwards. This is the model that God displays through the entire Bible, and it is the model we are meant to emulate.
I am so grateful to have met my work out buddy the fall of 2005, and I am even more grateful that after nearly 12 years I can call him my brother. I am so grateful that God has brought the men who write this blog into my life, and I cannot wait to see where He takes us.
To God alone be the Glory!
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