my friend jose'

I was sitting in my office last night - actually using it for work for the first time in four years. It's been a long road. I have a few pieces of furniture I'd like in there - one is a cabinet that'll need some painting and another piece of furniture to organize satchels, my laptop, etc. There's actually a nice looking cubbyhole cabinet I have my eye on at Big Lots. I also want to get to a place where I can buy some wooden blinds for my studio windows. One day I'll get my old fashioned door with the diffused glass window which I'll get Jimmy Henderson to paint my logo on. Yes there's still some work to do but for all intentive purposes, I have arrived!

I could not have gotten to where I've gotten without Jose'. I guess it was about five years ago when Gina and I finally decided we needed to do something about the flooding in our finished basement. The foundation man from Birmingham told me that everything in the basement had to be ripped out. I had to rip out the carpet, tear down walls, pull out the old bar. I had to completely demolish the place. Demolish we did. Jose' came in and helped me with much of it. What he didn't have time to do, he told me how to do it. There were even nights he would come over with crow bar and saw and work into the wee hours of the night. If I ever got to the end of my rope - Jose' would step in and pull me through. If ever I had a question about who I should use for hiring on to do some work - Jose' put me in touch with someone good and trustworthy. I can't tell you how many hours Jose' put into my home. He is a blessing to my household.

I specifically remember a day when I was at my wit and strength's end. I was scraping glued carpet padding from the cement floor with a one inch wood chisel. Jose' just happened by and found me with a lot of glue padding to go. He had work to do that day but stopped amid his work day - went out to his truck for the right tool and helped me finish the task.

He makes everything seem easy. I am not a patient fellow and have learned from his work ethic and quiet spirit. I confess that I get impatient with myself - being around Jose' has helped me take things one at a time. I still catch myself losing it while doing a task - but my thoughts of Jose's calm way come to mind and I try to emulate that calmness. Unfortunately, these thoughts come after I blow my gasket - I am a work in progress myself. His example comes nevertheless and has become part of my conscience. I need to be more patient - I need to take things as they come and not get impatient with myself. It's good to have friends that I can learn from. I have learned a great deal from being around my friend Jose'.

Jose' - I know you've got so many tasks in front of you. I know that your plate is always full. I know you've put tasks aside so you could help me. I can't count the times you've come to my aid. You've been more than a friend - you've been by my side thick and thin like a brother. You were there when in life others turned their backs. You were there without judgement, but offered advise and Biblical truth. I will never be able to express the depth of my gratitude to you and to God for a friend like you.