In May 1978 Billy Joel released a song “only the good die young” On July 14, 1978 Christian David Hafner was born.
Fast forward many years, we were both involved in a group called “The Fight” and were in a graduating ceremony and this guy standing beside me says to me, will you stand with me as I graduate my guys, I said of course. A friendship began, it was a friendship that would be a text, a Facebook message, an occasional lunch.
I learned more from “The Haf” than he did me. His world was his wife Rachel, and his boys Zane and Dawson. I remember a Fight reunion a couple years ago, he texted me that he couldn’t attend but told me to represent him. I didn’t take that lightly. As we got T-shirt’s, I grabbed one for David, I delivered it to one of our lunches at Sam & Andy’s Fountain City. Most of our lunches were there, because it was close to his work.
Our last lunch was on October 12, 2017. In hindsight, I wish I had met him the first week or two of December.
David “the haf” and I outside Sam & Andy’s Fountain City on 10/12/2017 following lunch.
On December 20, 2017 David earned his wings and entered the gates of Heaven. Leaving Rachel, Zane and Dawson, it would not be his choice and certainly not their choice, to leave so soon. But it was his appointed time to be in Heaven. We will all meet again and there will be no departure again.
Until then, I will continue the Conservative Fight and try to be as good as the “the haf” was. He was a man before his time and had the wisdom of an elder statesman.
Death is not the end for a Believer of Jesus Christ, it is only the beginning. We have assurances as Christians that Victory Is Certain as we enter our eternal reward, For “the haf” Victory Was Certain On December 20, 2017.
I am reminded of the late Pastor Adrian Rogers who said “when my time comes, don’t be sorry for me, I’ll be kicking up gold dust on the steeets of Glory.” That is the vision I have of “the haf” he was dancing a jig and likely shooting a shot gun shell in the air in celebration.
