A Friend in High Places

John 15:15: “No longer do I call you slaves…I have called you friends…”

The call came too late at night. I knew before answering that bad news awaited. A somber voice confirmed my fears, “David, I have sad news. Carroll passed away yesterday.” My mind reeled. Carroll has a dear friend, business partner, companion of many hunts, renowned neuro-surgeon, and one of the most accomplished outdoorsmen I had ever known. He was a famed worldwide hunter, the first Safari Club president, author of the Endangered Species Act (yes, it was written by hunters before its purpose was perverted), founder of North Carolina’s “Dixie Deer Classic”, the grandfather of all deer shows, to name but a few of his many outdoor accomplishments.

As my I thought of the many things that could be written about Carroll’s life, my mind jumped to my own epitaph. How would I want to be remembered? “David was a great hunter?” “He was an expert deer manager?” “He was an accomplished writer?” “He published fine magazines and books?” “He was a good TV show host?” No, none of those things! Suddenly, what I had done in life didn’t seem that important. What really mattered came into sharp focus – relationships…with my wife and family, my friends, the people I met along life’s way. Then, I thought about the relationship important above all others…the one upon which I hoped all my other relationships would be grounded. I knew I could aspire to nothing greater than the simple epitaph, “He was a friend of Jesus.”

Posted by David Morris