July 1
DebDay 109: Closer than a Brother
I didn't grow up with brothers. It was just Dad and me. And women. We were outnumbered.
My father tells me the day he dropped me off at college to begin my freshman year was one of his hardest days. Not because he would miss me (though he would), but because he was then left alone in a household of females. To fend for himself, outnumbered 4 to 1. He survived.
The Lord has blessed me with dear friends through the years. In each place we've lived there remains at least one guy I'm still in touch with. When we do get to meet up, we just seem to pick up where we last left off. Mike, AK, Greg and Chuck don't know each other, (well, Mike and AK do), but to me each are still dear and valued friends.
Moving to Alaska, Deb and I knew no one. Well, I did kind of know one guy, but he was way up in Fairbanks. He was a church-planter like me. We had that in common. That was about the extent of what we had in common. He is a true Alaskan mountain man, and looks the part. I bring a certain European flair.
But what drew us together was a shared life's purpose. We wanted to see people come to saving faith in Jesus. We both believed in the validity and necessity of the local church. We both cared about Alaska. We were both pointing in the same direction.
After being here in Juneau for a couple of days, I put Caleb on his plane (back to his now home in Palmer) this morning. An hour later I read this - Habakkuk 2:14.
"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea."
He wants that. I want that. That's why we're both church-planters. Each of us now endeavoring in our second church plants.
And the Lord has allowed us to see the formation of some Kingdom things. We've had our hands in some new church starts. We've coached a number of Alaskan pastors and church-planters. We initiated a network. And we've seen the Radiant Churches grow from 1 church in Fairbanks to a family of 5 Alaskan churches.
We challenge each other's theologies and methodologies, sometimes even attitudes. And we share in both the joys and heartaches of church leadership.
After spending days together talking non-stop, we leave exhausted. We've had trips to the airport when neither of us says a word. Because we've run out of words. We're so done.
He has become my dearest friend over these past 8+ years. Dearest friend in "the ministry," for sure. But beyond that, my dearest friend.
Proverbs 18:24 describes this for me. "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
The hope of the gospel, the expansion of God's Kingdom is the glue that makes us stick so close to each other.
For me, closer than a brother.
-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church | Juneau
