Where in the world is RJF?

You are a lost soul wondering through a world that can be all yours if you truly wanted it to be.   But for some reason you have chosen a road that I cannot fathom could be that great to travel.  To me, it seems like that road has had more bumps and troughs than highs and peaks.  Of course highs is probably the wrong word because I'm pretty sure it has had plenty of highs.

You are my brother, not so much by blood, but by a promise I made to you over twenty years ago.  That vow was that I would never step away and I would always be there.  Obviously I can't be right where you are, but I've always been here for calls, texts, emails, and letters.  I've always been right here.  All you have to do is step up and say help.

I am not sure if you realize that anyone that's been in your life in a positive way would do the same as I would.  And some of them have in so many ways.  But you always slide back.  But honestly, none of our help is going to change who you are unless you want to change yourself.

For those of us that have been with you from the beginning of this rocky adventure, we have watched with great hope that you are taking the right path.  You were going to change.  And for awhile you are the person we used to know.  That caring, funny, and sincere friend we all went to school with.  And then something happens.  A little switch?  Walking into the wrong room with the wrong people?  Something happens and you run back down that dirty road.

I was there when you found the Lord Jesus Christ.  Of course I'm probably one of the only person that knows really why you found the Lord Jesus Christ, but I will keep that part a secret.  That was during high school when the rocky road started to get paved.  Of those that were standing on the side of the road thought that possibly this would be a change in the right direction for you.  And for a while it was.  Off to college you went...to a 'church' college at that...but one night something happened and the world came screaming back to the dirty road.

When I could I would come see you and we would talk about the good life.  When times slid to the downside, I would write or try to make a connection with you.  And then you would eventually disappear for a while.  Where you would go not many of us know.  All I know is that you would go back down that drug induced hole and hide out for a while.  And then something scary would happen to you and you would come crawling back to friends and family.  And they would welcome you back with open arms because this was going to be the time you could become the person we know.

Of course that would only last for a short time before you would start those addictive tendencies and disappear on us again.  You recently came back in full force and we all thought once again that you were back for good.  You were going to be with us, become our friends again, laugh with us, cry with us, celebrate our birthdays, new babies, and everything else in the real world.  You gave us photos from the old days and made us laugh.

And then again....gone.  

I do not think you realize how many people care about you.  Over these last months of your disappearance, I've received text and facebook messages asking me where you were.  And all I could say is "I unfortunately have no idea".  And that hurts.  You don't know how much it hurts to not know where a brother and a friend is?

And I am so scared that one day I'm going to have to tell our world...you are GONE forever.

When you find the time, please make contact with us.  We love you RJF.