This past weekend, I got to ride and spend some time with my childhood friend Lyle Branton. We met Saturday down in Covington, about halfway between us. We ate a Cajun lunch at RL's Off The Square, me a plate of Jambalaya, Lyle a Grouper plate. His bill: about $35. Mine: $8. Ha! We sat and talked for about an hour, catching up on each other's families, work, and personal lives from the past year. Great conversation over a great meal.
We hopped on our moto-bikes and rode out country roads toward Rutledge, a quaint little town on the way to Madison with a great ice cream shop. By the time we approached the town, a lumbering, 3mph, mile-long train was rolling through, blocking our way into the town! Arghh, no ice cream in Rutledge.
We blasted east on State Road 12 through rolling hills and dairy farms, woods and wide open farm land. All in bright sunshine, cool temps. We finally arrived in the historic town of Madison, the city "too pretty to burn" according to Union General Grant in the Civil War. We pulled up to the original Scoops ice cream parlor, got a couple of cones, and sat outside in the sunshine to catch up some more. We talked about middle age, the "second half", and what God might be leading us into for the years ahead.
We were within 30 miles of my parent's lake house, so we decided to ride south to Eatonton. We pulled up in their driveway about 2:30pm, and spent a couple of hours talking, laughing, reminiscing with my folks on the back porch, over sweet tea and Toll house cookies. We finally saddled up for home and rode back toward Eatonton, where Lyle headed west for Fayetteville, and I made my way north for Dacula. A day well-spent.
Lyle and I first met at 12 years old, as 7th graders. He had just moved to Fayetteville from Tifton, Ga with his family, and didn't know a soul yet. I was paired up with him as a locker partner, and we struck up an instant friendship. We ran track together, joined some of the same school clubs, and by high school were both on the wrestling squad and cross-country team. Through it all, we stayed locker partners as well, hung out at each other's house after school and on weekends, and participated in each other's church youth groups regularly.
Even though we went our separate ways for college, we stayed in touch, were involved in each other's weddings, and were there for the birth of each other's children. We even spent a few years at the same church in Clarkston Ga, me as the youth pastor, Lyle as a deacon. We have been there for nearly all of the major events in each other's lives and families. Even when there were years that we didn't get to spend as much time together, our families always met up for Christmas, New Years, or summer getaways at the lake, with Jimmy and Carla Jimmerson, another couple we have been close to since high school.
Lyle has seen much pain and heartache over the past several years- the loss of the family business, job loss of his wife, both embarking on new career paths, the death of his godly father, a sibling's marriage and family falling apart, and painful struggles with one of his own children. Yet through it all, like Job in the Bible, Lyle has maintained his integrity, kept his faith in God. As he has told me before, "God's got us, we're in good hands." Good hands indeed.

Lyle inspires me, always has. I may be the one in vocational ministry, but to me, he is the spiritual giant. I guess adversity can do that. Pain and suffering will either make your faith, or break it. Depends on what that faith is founded upon. Lyle's faith is founded, grounded in Christ. May I always anchor my soul to Him as well.