This passage by John Eldredge, reflecting on the loss of his best friend – Brent Curtis – has been very meaningful to me over the years. There’s something in it that connects deeply with my heart.
“I did not know how much Brent meant to me until I lost him. He was killed last year at this time, in a climbing accident. We had taken a group of men to the mountains on a retreat, believing that to help a man recover his heart, you must take him out of the office, away from the television, and into the wild. We planned three days at a ranch in Colorado where we would bring rock climbing, fly-fishing, and horseback riding together with talks on the journey of a man’s heart. Brent was leading the climbing on day two when he fell. The loss was unspeakable for many, many people. Ginny lost her husband. Ben and Drew lost their daddy. Many people lost the only man who had ever fought for their hearts. I lost the truest friend I have ever known.” –John Eldredge, in Journey of Desire.