By by Rob Griffin
What is a "best" friend? It's a guy who gives up his time to make sure that his friend in a wheelchair has something to do. It's the guy who is there when his friend is at his best and when that same friend is having the worst day ever.
It's the guy that takes his wheelchair bound friend and pushes him to McDonalds to get a bite to eat.
It's the guy that pushes that same friend to K-Mart to go Christmas shopping.
It's the guy that pushes his buddy to Movie Gallery to check out a new video game.
It's the friend that takes time out to bring his wheelchair bound friend to his house, pulling him up two flights of stairs, just so they could hang out.
It's the friend who picks you up off the ground when you fall down even though you outweigh him.
It's the friend who is your accountability partner in a Discipleship course at church.
It's that friend who makes a promise to his friend that one day he will have a car and that they would go to the mall in Pensacola.
Well in case you didn't know, Richard Alan Cook, or "Cookie" was and will always be that friend. You see, although he lost his life in an automobile accident on January 2nd, you could never ask God for a better friend.
There were a lot of things that Cookie and I still wanted to do, but now I have a Guardian Angel. To all of you who didn't know him, I'm sorry, but you would have loved him.
Being best friends, you have a special bond or love for one another. It's not an unnatural love, but anyone who has or has ever had a best friend knows what I'm talking about.
Cookie will be laid in the ground here on earth, but he will be joining that angelic choir up in Heaven. From this moment on, this best friend dedicates everything he does to your memory.
You will not be here in the flesh to see me walk again, but rest in peace and in the hope and knowledge that we will see each other again and dance together on that street paved in gold.
This is not good-bye! The Bible says, "Anyone who is in Christ is a new creature, and believe me when I tell you, Cookie not only talked the talk, but he walked the walk.
He was not perfect, but he lived everyday trying to be. He lived and I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that the preacher won't have to lie at his funeral.
Although Cookie will be missed, let us not dwell on the death, but his new life up in heaven. Let's run the race until we finish, and I promise that we will see his face again. Cookie, you will always be my best friend.
Richard Alan Cook Oct. 28, 1981-Jan. 2, 2005.