Lost Boy
I worry about sharing my sketches and drawings. Just like when I write fiction or music, I take on a personality when I draw. Often, I draw on my own personal feelings for inspiration, but I’ll also take a very small emotion and blow out of proportion – or perhaps a better word would be propelling it into proportion, so you can study it deeply.
Over the summery, I very rarely drew, and when I did, it’s usually late at night, and something special has struck a chord in my mind. As my mind swirls, my hands cannot help but sketch my thoughts onto paper.
I’m not a skilled artist by any means, but I can usually capture whatever it is that I’m working through.
I got back from weekend trip with people that I love. Mentally, though, it had been a tough afternoon. I arrived back home at 11 PM, and after struggling to find my phone (it turns out I had put it into one of the car door pockets, and just hadn’t ever checked there the entire weekend), I decided to go to bed.
As I sat there, though, my mind was still swirling. And so, I turned my hands to pencil and paper and began to sketch. Eventually, it turned into this, titled Lost Boy.
Did I feel alone when I drew this? Perhaps a little. But before I began to draw, I had an image flash in my mind. I saw a group of guys sitting around a room, talking about their lives. All of them were struggling with something, but they were in it together. They called themselves the ‘Lost Boys.’
Those words are what drove me to draw and create. Each of those men, without the others, would be lost. But with each other, not only are they found, they have the opportunity to find direction.
I don’t know if I’ll ever have a group called the Lost Boys, but I do know that I’ve been blessed to be a part of several groups of strong peers who lift me up and push me forward.
See, looking for a group – call it a crew, call it a family – trying to find one is a good thing. But you can’t just have people who are going to love you for who you are. You need to have people who are willing to see the flaws, too, and call you out on them. Either the group helps each other grow to maturity, or they stay Lost Boys forever.
If you’re struggling with loneliness and hurt – if you feel like a Lost Boy – then I hope and pray that you’ll have the courage to find a group to support you. But more than that, I hope you realize that there’s a friend who is closer than a brother, who will never leave you, or forsake you.
His name is Jesus Christ. And he is the best friend you can ever have.
If you’re not looking for a friend like that, but you want a friend to sit with you, or if you have questions or comments, please feel free to reach out – I would love to talk.
