Brotherly Love

When I think back to the time of my childhood and growing up in the Kentucky Knob during the 1940s and 50s, I remember best the closeness of our family and the love we shared. There was no fun at being “big sis” to two little brothers, but I still loved those two little scrappers and often had bruises caused from trying to be their protector.  I think the first time I got into a school fight was because of some bully trying to use my little brother as a source of entertainment by shoving him around. I went into that boy just like “Ugly on an ape,” and got creamed. However, that boy never bothered my brother, or me, again….

I have a book titled, God’s Little Devotional Book, and one of the stories in that book makes me think of my two brothers.

__ Two brothers farmed together. They lived in separate houses on the family farm, but met in the fields every day to work together. One brother married and had a very large family. The other lived alone. Still, they shared the crops equally.

   One night the single brother thought, my brother is struggling to make ends meet and feed his large family and it is not fair for me to get half the harvest. With love in his heart, he gathered a box of things he had bought from his profit ---items he knew would help his brother’s family.  He planned to slip over to his brother’s house and hide the things in the shed for his brother to find later.

     That same night the married brother thought, my poor brother. He lives alone and doesn’t know the joy of having a family. He went to his barn, got a basket, went into the house, and filled the basket with a warm quilt, homemade breads, and jellies. He planned to leave the items on the front porch and never say a word about them.

Both men left their homes at the same time. Feeling their way through the night they bumped into each other. They were forced to tell each other what they were doing and there in the darkness they embraced. Each one realized the wealth of having a brother who loved and respected him.

I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring you ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20-35….

Sibling closeness is hard to beat. They may often fight like “cats and dogs”  among themselves but let an outsider start a fight with a brother or sister and ever how many siblings there might be will gang up on the troublemaker and clean their plow…

I lost my younger brother on July 28, 2014...I miss him so much. But I have peace in knowing that one day, I will see him again. That time will be forever. Until then, rest well.