Incarnation - Matthew

Proverbs 18:24 (NKJV)
²⁴ A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.


It is a rare thing in life to have a friend who is closer than family. Someone who loves you and cares for you no matter what. Someone who wants to spend time with you. God has been kind enough to place someone in my life like that. I met him a little over a year ago at work. His name is Matthew Hayes.


My relationship with Matthew started on a highly contentious note. We got loud and raucous at the Ruby C. Hunt YMCA while we were competing in a vigorous game of Wii bowling. There was lots of yelling and trash talking. Needless to say we have been buddies ever since. Matthew is a very special young man. He is confined to a wheelchair by cerebral palsy. He volunteers at the Y in Kidzone with me on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He is a great asset to the Y and a great help to myself. He is ready and eager to help me with whatever I need done. However the great thing about Matthew is that he loves me. He is my buddy and if I needed him he would do whatever he could to assist me. I went to his house a few weeks back to spend some time with him and I took my remote control truck and we had a blast driving it down his road and through his yard. It was nice to feel like a kid hanging out with is buddy. It's great to have someone who wants to be your friend and spend time with you just because they love you and not because of what you are doing. They are more interested in you than in the activity.

Through Matthew, I have seen the type of love that God has: unconditional. He loves people regardless of who they are. Even if they get on his nerves and he has conflict with them he still cares for them. For me, Matthew is a friend who is closer than a brother and I see the love God has for me through him. I thank God for sending Matthew into my life. When I am down he always brightens my day and brings a smile to my face. And he cheats at Wii bowling!!