Terry

My brother's name is Terry.

I know, isn't it cute our names rhyme. It came in handy when Mom was calling us. We both responded to a positive tone. We both assumed it was the other one when it was "the somebodies in trouble" tone.

My brother is a couple of years younger than me. We were very typical. Liked each other but also liked a good fight. Road trips were especially interesting. We lived in Kansas when we were little and there was no place to far for Mom and Dad to drive us. So we got some serious "don't cross that line" time in the car.

As we grew up we both were led to leave Colorado for college. We were both led to Christian Universities. Terry went to Northwestern in Minnesota. He married a local girl and they are very happily settled up there.

Terry is a youth pastor. I love his heart for the Lord and people. We have great talks over the phone. Processing what the Lord is up to in each of our lives. Encouraging each other to press on and delighting in what we each enjoy about ministry. He is more than my brother. He is a dear friend.

This week he called to tell me something serious was up with his health. He discovered this while swimming to shore dragging a kyack because he another person had accidentally flipped is on one of his adventures. He heart and lungs weren't working right. After we got off the phone I was horrifyied by the thought that it could have been my dear sister-in-love calling me to tell me Terry drowned in the lake and we can't figure out why.

Before that moment, I thought I already knew how much I love my 6ft 3in "little brother". Turns out I didn't. I couldn't imagine and still can't not having him to call. So now I know better how much I love him.

The doctors have made progress figuring out what's going wrong. He'll be feeling better soon. And all of us who love him will be more appreiciatve than we've ever been before.

I wish I knew why it takes events like these for us to know how much we love and are loved.

I'm always fascinated when the very thing we would never wish on somebody it the very thing that teaches was we need to know.

To those who knew what was going on with Terry this week, thanks for praying!