RIP Drew Conahan-You'll Be Missed!

Last Sunday a group of us went out for lunch after church. It was just a normal Sunday but it was unusual for so many people to go out and eat together afterward. Drew Conahan, a friend that grew up with my hubby decided to join us, which rarely happened.

Now to explain Drew is a little difficult, he was quite a character to say the least. I told my hubby, "Drew doesn't have a filter." He said, "What do you mean?" "Well, when he thinks something he says it. It just spills out, unlike most of us who filter what we say," I replied.

But that was Drew, he never held anything back. He loved to play jokes on everyone, had a crazy laugh that made others chuckle & an incredibly big heart. He tried to hide it behind a tough, gruff exterior...but if you were lucky enough to get to really know him, you'd see that it was a cover up. He was very sensitive & often felt remorse for his, "lack of filter." He just wore his emotions on his sleeve.

One day at church, my hubby, (Anthony), played a joke on Drew and pulled right up to his car bumper so they were touching. Anthony thought it was really funny & would be able to get a quick rise out of Drew (which they both loved to do to each other-both are hot heads!) Well it worked. Drew, an avid Green Bay Packers fan, had a Packers license plate mounted on the front of his bumper, which was completely bent and ruined by Anthony's joke. When my hubby went inside church, Drew ran out, got in Anthony's car & took EVERYTHING out of the glove box, papers, folders and anything else he could find and threw them everywhere inside the car. And so it went...back and forth!

On Sunday as we sat and ate, he cracked a few jokes at people, and his face instantly lighting up...his softer side shining through as he talked about how he met the love of his life, his wife Gloria, sitting on a bus one day while going to work. He struck up a conversation with her and asked her out. He said that he was surprised she agreed. Then joked about the fact that after they had been dating a while, she said, "You tricked me, I thought you were really a blond!" We all squirmed a little, but once he belted out his distinguished, Hee Hee Hee Hee, laugh, we couldn't help but join in.

As we were getting ready to leave, the guys began teasing him about his fancy church shoes. He made a few remarks back, then, Hee Hee Hee Hee, laughed it off. He walked over to my son Elijah and me, gave us each a hug (this coming from a guy who HATED hugs & told anyone who ever tried to..."I DON'T HUG!") Then he looked at us very sincerely & said, "This was really nice, I had a great time hanging out with you guys today." I waited for a wise crack remark afterwards, but he just looked at us happily and smiled.

"We enjoyed it too Drew," I said, caught off guard by the hug and seriousness of his comment.

That was the last time we saw Drew.

Yesterday, we got a call that he had fallen off a scaffolding at work and was killed. It's so unbelievable that just 5 days ago we were all having a wonderful Sunday lunch. Just like that...he was called home to his Heavenly Father & Savior, Jesus Christ.

It struck me hard that none of us is promised tomorrow. We all need to make an effort to make each day count. You never know when it might be the last time you see someone. Drew's final prayer request that he wrote last Sunday was for a couple of friends. One in particular who was working with him. He wasn't thinking of himself. He was making sure his friends accepted Jesus Christ. It was very important that he knew the people he cared about would be saved after they left this earth. He truly had a heart for people and worried about them.

RIP Drew Conahan, you are home...but we will miss you our friend!

Here is Drew's favorite song, "The Old Rugged Cross"