Lost friends

My last posting was entitled "Friends." This one is entitled, "Lost friends."

It seems to be a "season" of losing friends. One of my bridesmaids, Dawn Anderson, went to be with the Lord on August 19. And on September 7 another friend of Alan's and mine went into the arms of Jesus. His name was Bob Gearhart.

Bob was probably Alan's best Cincinnati friend, since another of his friends moved from our city several years ago. Bob was the person we called when we had a "tool man" problem. He would hurry right on over and fix whatever was in need of his tools.

This aid really started when Alan was diagnosed with cancer. Bob fixed our house so we could get it on the market and sell it. That included reflooring a bathroom, resetting a toilet, building a new flood in the laundry room, tiling the floor, and retiling the kitchen floor. He also did miscellaneous small fix-it jobs in order to get that house fixed.

He was also an aid at our brand new -- should-not-need-repairs -- home only about two miles from his house.

Bob and Alan met often for either breakfast or lunch. Bob was Phil's boss before he retired and before Phil was outsourced.

His wife, Nancy and I, became best buds when we decided to home educate our children. It was a difficult couple of years for us at the beginning of those educating years. And our friendship grew out of that difficulty. Nancy is my partner in prayer.

Alan and I shall miss Bob. He was a quiet man. He loved Jesus and was looking forward to seeing him.

When I heard that Bob had died I envisioned him entering into the presence of his Lord, Jesus Christ, bowing down before him, and then Jesus lifting him up and giving him a hug, and saying to him "Welcome Home, Bob."

ttfn