The Boy Next Door 8

After Harlan died I began drifting farther and farther from God. I could not reconcile in my mind how God could love these “club members” who could not like my friend. The next years of my life left a wake of wounded around me. I was unfit to have a relationship most everyone. There is no doubt that hurt people, hurt people.

As I turned my back on God, Harlan’s Dad embraced him, when Randal died in 1981 after years of complications from his wound, his Dad rejoiced. The tears were different than the tears he shed for Harlan; these were tears of Hope. And again there were tears of hope his wife died in 1984. I remember wondering how someone who had lost two sons and a wife could be growing if faith as my faith was all but gone.

In 1987 when my Dad past away Harlan’s Dad was there, he told me of how my Dad lead him to God and how without God his life would have no meaning at all. But I was mad at God. I wept tears of hopelessness. Days later my daughter was born, she was all the hope I had left; she was the hope that I had. Without her I could not have lived the next few years.

In 1996 Harlan’s Dad died, I rejoiced with tears of hope.

It was a bitter divorce that brought me to rock bottom, it was my foxhole where I found God, for a second time. I was broken and unable to move forward when I cried out to God…. And then the healing came, not all at once, in fact, it’s not yet complete; but it came; it came with tears of hope.

This summer Harlan’s brother Mason died from a blood clot. I found this profoundly sad. It was this, that made write this story. However this story really isn’t about the boy next store, it’s about people who rejected a little boy because he didn’t fit in. The life of Harlan could have been dramatically changed if people who called themselves Christians would have reached out to one little boy.

This could be the end… it’s up to you.

Comments

[Brian Marquis]

You could turn this into an awesome book. I wonder if Tim or Tony could help or co-author with you...

[allen madding]

Ed,

I took the libery to share this series with a friend, Jason Chatraw at http://www.ampelonpublishing.com

It's my hope and prayer that y'all can take this moving story and work it into print. I believe many lives could be touched.

Blessings,
Allen

[Ed Buford]

Thanks Allen! That's very kind of you. You could give him my email addrress aldo if you like ebuford@gmail.com