Today, I am thankful for my "little" brother. When I think of how special my brother is to me and how I'd hurt if anything ever happened to him, I think of the story of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. Mary and Martha both loved their brother dearly, and they knew that Jesus was the only one who could heal Lazarus when he fell ill. When Lazarus died, their hearts were crushed; yet, when Martha ran out to meet Jesus as he finally arrived, her faith in Him did not waiver. In John 11:21-22, Martha says to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
Martha knew that God was in control of the situation, that He knew the pain she felt and He had a bigger plan than she could see. I want to be like Martha in the face of tragedy. I want to completely trust God no matter how much I hurt, no matter how bleak the circumstances. In Psalm 30: 4, 11-12, we read, "Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning... You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever."
Today, a tornado swept through the mobile home park where my brother lives. I saw the tornado warning online as I was checking the weather and immediately called to make sure he was in a safe place. He was, thank goodness. Fortunately, the damage should be repairable. Other homes weren't so lucky. My brother found a friend to come pick him up on campus and take him home, where he found a tree lying on his house and his car damaged in the street. The house across the road had a tree go completely through it, as did others. Thank goodness this storm hit during the day when all of the residents - college students - were in class! I just keep thinking, "If this had happened yesterday or tomorrow, he'd have been at home." But it was today and he wasn't home, and I'm so thankful.
I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to him. I miss him a lot because he's off at college, and I wish all the time that I could see him more often. Today I have been forced to realize that he's all grown up and can take care of himself, a fact about which I'm not sure how I feel. My brother is the most laid-back person I know, and I admire him for so many reasons. He stands out from the crowd because he does what is right, even when it means being left out of the "fun" and being treated differently. He chooses to live for Jesus, which I know has been difficult in college since so few of his peers choose the same path. He is the most talented person I know, and that isn't just my sibling prejudice talking either. He really is an amazing singer and pianist, and I want to tell him how special he is every chance I get so he never doubts his potential to do great things.
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