Who Am I? Part 4 Craig

Five years ago today the weather was quite different than this rainy day we are experiencing.  It was a Friday, bright and sunny.  I remember driving to work with the windows down and good music on the radio, looking forward to some rest and relaxation that Labor Day weekend.  It was only natural that Craig would be out on his motorcycle in such nice weather, as it was one of the things he loved most in life.

Now, I’m not sure how much this blog entry might bless the hearts of those that did not know him, but today I write for those who are remembering Craig.  He was my husband’s best friend since kindergarten and became one of my closest friends as well.  It was an honor that Craig served as the Best Man in our wedding.  Craig was just a great guy, the kind of friend that wives want their husbands to have.  I didn’t have to worry about what Jon was doing when he was out with Craig- it was always clean-cut fun.

One of the things I most enjoyed about Craig was the boyish joy he and my husband shared together.  They were both RC (radio-controlled) car enthusiasts with a competitive nature that got quite expensive.  They spent many Saturday mornings filling up on a large breakfast at my apartment and then heading off to race on a dirt track.  There is something really sweet about grown men on a dirty track playing with… well… toys, so I often spent my Saturday mornings there watching them.

Craig was raised Catholic, but as many youths do, he had fallen away from church attendance and teachings.  Meanwhile, Jon and I were exploring deeper into sharing our Christian faith.  We had started a Bible Study that we held in our apartment every Wednesday evening, with the attraction of a home-cooked meal, to make inviting friends easier.  We had never invited Craig.  So often I have found that I have doubted God’s capabilities of reaching out to hearts that are so much more willing to hear than I have thought them to be.

One Wednesday as several of us were just sitting down to dinner, one of the attendants, Nikki, received a phone call from Craig.  She told him she was having dinner at our house and that he should come over.  She never mentioned a Bible Study.  I panicked that Craig was going to feel “tricked” into coming to a Bible study and would feel uneasy, yet obligated to stay.  At my urging, Nikki called him back and “warned” him of what he was walking into.  By the time she had called him back, he was already in the parking lot, undoubtedly because free food was being offered.

He stayed for Bible study and made no indication of being uncomfortable.  He participated a lot in the discussion, with many objections.  It was clear that Craig had been struggling with the truths of the Bible and was wondering if it could be the infallible word of God.  When he left, Jon and I prayed for him and that God would wipe away his doubts and renew his faith.  The following week we apprehensively invited him and he came.  Craig was entirely different this time, even proclaiming at one point, “That’s the cool thing about the Bible!”

From that time on, Craig regularly attended our Bible study and we had the pleasure of watching his faith grow so much in that little time.  I remember him telling me, “Katie, I’m so happy now.”

I do not know why five years ago today Craig was in a motorcycle accident that took his life.  I do know why he called Nikki that night of our Bible study.  Simply put, I had a lot of plans for Craig that God did not.  I had planned on Craig marrying a wonderful girl that I would approve of, having children that would grow up with mine, and my children adoring him as much as I did.  God’s plan for Craig that night was to renew his faith and give us all an assurance of where he is today, in the loving arms of His God.  If Craig had died before attending our Bible study my pain today would be much different.  I would not have this certainty of Craig smiling down on us as we remember him today and always, and looking forward to the day when we are reunited in Heaven.