My Friend, Chris Essay, Research Paper
There are many people in this world who hold great reputations. There are far fewer people who posess great character. A reputation is built in just moments, and reflects what you do in front of people. Character, on the other hand, is built over years, and is reflected in what is unseen by others. Of all of my friends, one exemplifies great character more than any of the others. His name is Chris.
Chris stands a little over 6 feet tall with thick, dirty blonde hair. His piercing blue eyes change color in the sunlight. He is very light complected, with a small amount of facial hair on the base of his chin. His long sideburns grow down the length of his ear. He is one of those adventurous guys who does things that I would never dream of doing. Realizing that life is short, his ambition is to make the most out of life that he possibly can. Chris has influenced me more than any other person on the campus. He did this by making me believe in who I really am.
? Always remember that life is what you make of it. You have the chance to become whatever you desire ? it?s a gift that God gives you, ? he told me once. ?Some people spend their lives blaming others for their problems. Its far better to spend time and energy searching for answers — instead of pointing fingers. ?
One of his great attributes is shown in the fact that he tries to cheer people up and make them laugh while they are experiencing great emotional stress or pain. He is known to play some great practical jokes on friends just to brighten their day. He once called a friend who was going through some personal problems and told him that he was being investigated by the Humane Society for animal cruelty. Chris even involved many of his fellow workers in the joke. Unfortunately, they forgot to tell the man that they were joking! Later that night, he remembered to explain to the man about the joke. Fearing that his friend would be upset, he sheepishly told him about his little endeavor. The man, instead of being angry, showed great relief. He even thanked Chris for what he did. The man said that it made him realize how unimportant his problems really were.
? I guess that I did go a little too far with that one, ? He said. ?But in the end, it all sort of worked out for the good — thank God ! ?
While he has an incredible sense of humor, Chris is also the type of guy who likes to discuss many important issues with his friends. He is very knowledgible in politics, and seems to have solutions to many of social problems. He is probably one of the most knowledgible people I know concerning the Scriptures. Even when challenged for his religious beliefs, he still seems to have the ability to make peace with those who don?t like him. In much of the way that food does not stick to teflon, insults seem to have no lasting effect on his personality. He doesn?t seem to take anything personally.
I once asked him if he had ever gotten angry. He replied, ? More times than you can ever know ! ? But I have never seen this side of him. He tends to cover his anger and hurt very well. He never takes his anger out on his friends. When he is upset, he normally starts humming a christian tune in his mind to allievate himself from the frustration he feels.
In addition to this, Chris is an extremely educated young man who will one day become very successful. As an engineering student, he is on a full NASA scholarship, and receives many other grants and scholarships as well. He served as an intern at NASA Langley Research Center last year, and plans on returning soon. He was even asked by NASA to represent them at the Southern Governors Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico during the summer. He presented his research projects to governors, congressmen and many important CEO?s of major corporations during this conference. His hard work and determination was evident to even members of state and national government.
He is one of those students to whom learning seems very natural. Both left brained and right brained, people like this seemed gifted with a destiny of success. But Chris disagrees. Borrowing from Thomas Edison, he said, ? There are some people who become sucessful in this life because they are destined to. But most people become sucessful in this life because they are determined to. ?
Chris has helped me tremendously. By his maturity, he has influenced me a great deal during this first year of college. He is not like other young men his age who try to present themselves with the machoism that seems to be so prevelant in south Texas. Instead, through his deep christian faith, he has demonstrated the power of meekness over self-preservation. He has shown me that meekness does not mean weakness. A truly meek person is able to control himself when he has the power to act during his emotional stress.
Chris has shown that he believes in the power of education. He recently went to visit a young man in jail who was convicted of aggrivated assault. Chris told him that he needed to straighten his life out and that he needed to pray to God for forgiveness for what he had done. He told this young convict to invite Jesus Christ into his heart and also told him to turn his life around and follow the right path given by God. He was an intelligent young man, but only about 16 years of age. Chris told him to get back into school and make something of himself. He offered to take him to school to enroll, and even promised to help him find information about financial aid once he received his dipoloma.
Chris does not parade his good deeds in front of others. Instead, with quietness and humility, he keeps most things between himself and God. His life displays a great passion for Jesus that is very rarely seen. He actually hungers for a closer walk with God. Like John Bunyan, Chris feels like he is only a pilgrim passing through ? the wilderness of this world. ? This world is not his home, but a place where he can be a servant to those around him. Even during difficult times, he considers his weakness a strength. ? The Bible says that God?s grace is sufficient for us, because his strength is made perfect in weakness, ? he explained. ? I believe that God comes through for us when we can?t come through for ourselves. It gives God a chance to demonstrate the power of his great love. ?
Because of such displays of true christian character, Chris has influenced me throughout my freshman year of college more than anyone else. He has made me learn that anyone can turn their life around — if they would only rely on Jesus Christ and surrender their will to him. Chris believes that with all of his heart. Every once and a while, you meet one of those special people that you will remember throughout your entire life. These type of people are natural born leaders. They are builders, not of just brick and mortar, but of the human heart. They build you up when others tear you down. Just when you feel like giving up on society, someone does something that shows that there are still great people out there. Chris is one of those people.