James

James, standing by drive-through. Me by the fry station.

His face alight with the story. His telling uncultivated, yet captivating.

“So I was turning left at the light there by McDonald's. With all the snow, it was really icy. I started drifting without meaning to and was just sliding towards a post. So I just punched it, trying to miss the post, and did a complete 360 right there in the intersection. Then I just kept going and did another complete 360.

“And there’s Cody Kelly and his chicks, sitting at the light, just watching me.

“They probably thought I was trying to show off, but I wasn’t.”

I doubled over in laughter at his story. I envisioned James in his beater of a red truck, front left side patched in a horrid shade of green, spinning in an intersection with Cody, one of my former coworkers, and “his chicks” just watching.

James, my friend.

Estranged from his dad. Hates his mom. Rejected by almost every person who has taken him in. Teased at school. Rebellious to certain authority. But my friend. Sharing life. Laughing together.

The day I walked through the door for the first time as an employee, I would have never dreamt it would be like this. I never imagined the aching friendship shared with those who need Christ so much. I never guessed a lonely boy like James could be such a friend.