Brotherly Love

Brotherly Love

Welcome to Christianity Oasis. This is Brotherly Love from our Sojourn With Luz Leigh Collection. We hope you enjoy this enlightening reading and it helps you on your own be-YOU-tiful Christian walk.

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Sojourn With Luz Leigh

Brotherly Love

Written by Luz Leigh - 15 January 2010

Sitting in front of an open fireplace, feet propped on a little stool that is as old as I am. The ceilings in this old house are high, causing me to think that if we were suspended from the ceiling, we would be a heck of a lot warmer. But, the room is comfortable; the folks with whom I am visiting are most cordial. Cindy offers me a cup of hot tea and some homemade teacakes. Wow, right down my alley.

Our conversation turns to the days when we were children. I did not know Cindy because she had not yet come into the family, but John and I have known each other all our lives. He was the youngest of four brothers, so he was the one chosen to be the goat of their follies most of the time. He liked to play with me in our younger years because I did not pick on him.

We were looking out a big picture window that faced west, making it easy for us to see the herd of cattle as they were enjoying a fresh round bale of hay. Lane, the oldest of the brothers, chuckled, and said "Joe, you 'member the time us boys tied you to that calf?" John, with a not so happy look on his face, replied, "Hail, yeah brother. How cud I ferget that?" Seeing a story coming on that was worth remembering, I said "Tell me about that!"

Between the two brothers the following story evolved. Lane and his brothers had penned a bunch of their parents' calves in the cow lot, thinking this would be a fun way to spend an afternoon ... riding those bucking calves around in the lot. John watched the situation, laughing at his crazy brothers. They tried to get him to ride one of the calves, but he refused. Well, those big brothers got a rope, set John on the back on one of the calves and tied him on so he couldn't jump off. He was yelling and hollering, "Let me off, let me off." That only made it funnier to those boys. After securing him on the calf's back, they opened the gate to the pen, slapped the calf on the rump and away the calf went, with John astraddle its back. Those brothers nearly fell to the ground laughing. To them it was funny, very funny, but John saw no humor in it.

After a bit, the brothers caught up with the calf, untied their little brother, all the while slapping themselves on the back for having had so much fun. This incident occurred over sixty-five years ago, but it is still fresh in the minds of those boys, who are now men in their golden years. I did not ask if their parents disciplined them for having picked on their little brother. Lane did say "Deddy suggested we find something else to fill our days with." Oh, and they did.

John and Lane began reminiscing about squirrel and deer hunting; helping their grandpa trap small animals in the winter time on the nearby creek and bayou. As I sipped my tea, I closed my eyes and imagined I could hear their happy voices as they tramped through those thick woods. What is so wonderful about this is the fact that they all still hunt in these same woods. Not just the brothers, but their sons, grandsons, granddaughters, and even some great-grandsons.

The fire crackles in the fireplace, John tosses another log on the fire and we are off on another trip back down memory lane. I am so blessed to be friends with this family. Among them the love of God is portrayed through their love for each other. My prayer is that when I am gone from this earth, my children will remain as close and loving to each other as this family is.

In the Gospel of John, chapter 15 verses 9 through 12, we read Jesus' words: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."

May His love abound in our hearts each day.

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