This Saturday, shortly after 5 p.m., my friend Rocky left this world and entered Heaven. Rocky, who had been battling cancer for some time, was finally healed as God chose to bring him home. Those who knew Rocky understand he was healed of more than his cancer. Rocky was deaf, which means the first sounds he ever heard were the celestial celebrations of his homecoming and the welcoming voice of his Saviour.

While I have had the privilege of being Rocky’s pastor for the last 12 years, I have known him for more than 30 years. Rocky and his wife, Carol, became members of our church when I was just a teenager. Rocky served as the deaf pastor for many years. Over the years, I had many conversations with Rocky on topics such as baseball cards, college football, and also spiritual matters. I was never the “preacher’s kid” to Rocky—we were friends.

As I began working in the church as a young adult and later became the pastor, our relationship obviously changed. However, one thing remained the same: we were friends. In fact, the last visit I made to his home, when the above picture was taken, we talked about college football, baseball, and, of course, Heaven—the kinds of topics two friends of 30 years would discuss.

I will have the privilege of preaching Rocky’s funeral later this week. As a teenager, when he took an interest in me, I never could have imagined that I would one day preach his funeral. I am honored to do so.

This proves that the people you invest in today may play a significant role in your future. 

While I will expound more at his funeral, there are a few things about Rocky that some may not know:

Rocky was generous.

When my wife and I were newly married, he generously paid bills we could not afford numerous times. I know he did this for many people, including in his last days.

Rocky had a sense of humor.

My friend was a prankster and liked to give his friends a hard time, all in good fun. I mention this because, even though he had a significant disability, he still maintained a healthy sense of humor.

Rocky was intelligent.

My friend was extremely intelligent. Even though he was limited in some ways by being deaf, he was an example of finding success and excelling in other areas of life.

From time to time, I will share personal stories like today’s in the Daily Report. I hope to remind us all that while our position is important, we must not forget about our relationships. While I am certain Rocky and I did not agree on everything, neither of us required that we did. There were times when our fellowship was closer than others, but one thing never changed: our friendship.

When you pastor the people with whom you have shared your life for decades, the relationship becomes more than merely professional—you become family. The last thing Rocky ever told me was that he loved me. It was the last thing I told him. I do not know much sign language, but I do know how to sign that.

I will miss my friend Rocky. I will miss his quirky humor and his frustration with his favorite football team. Most of all, I will miss him.