Brothers or best friends?

When my brother and I were younger, he always said that “brothers can never be friends because they are bothers.” Several years and several heart-aches later, he and I became the very best of friends. A younger brother is one who keeps you accountable to how you act because you want to set a good example. Two great fears have developed in my life; losing my brother and more fearfully, disappointing my brother. By having a younger brother, I have seen how one person’s decisions can impact another for the better or for the worse. When God allows a guy to be an older brother, He is giving that man a huge responsibility. It has always been said that “God will never give you more than you can handle.” It is hard being an older brother but the satisfaction is worth it; however, there is nothing more frightening the thought of letting a brother down. Sure there are the days where you fight, verbally and even physically, but through it all, it makes the bond much stronger. When you are forced to live with someone for so long, you learn how to make everything work out – after all, you have no choice.

My brother and I used to be like the typical, rough and tough, pair of brothers. Once things began to fall apart in our home and in our daily life, God began to change things; we were extremely blessed by God to have each other.  When brothers encounter hardships together, they have an understanding as to how the other feels and it is a sense of understanding that no one else can have. After many nights of crying together and feeling each other’s pain, we had a new bond – the bond of not only brothers, but the bond of the greatest set of best friends there ever was and ever will be. As things got progressively worse, we got stronger in our newfound best-friendship. Together we had scare after scare, tear after tear, heart-ache after heart-ache and pain after pain. Although being friends did not make any pain go away, knowing that we had a brother, no – not just a brother – a best friend, that understood made things manageable; we had each other.

I have told many that I love my brother more than I love anyone else on the planet and that is nothing but truth. Sure we have gotten into fights and we have been frustrated with each other or even disappointed with an action the other performed, but there is NOTHING like the bond a person and their brother have. Day-by-day we have become closer. Day-by-day we will continue to grow closer. I am proud of my brother and there has never been a day, or even a second, where I wished that I was an only child or that I had another sibling. The name “brother” is a very special name for only a very special person. I am blessed daily by my brother, Zach and nothing will stop that. God has blessed our brotherhood in more ways than one; He has poured numerous blessing on us and our bond. The reason for this is because we decided to keep God the center of our relationship and for that, we are being blessed daily.

There comes a sad day when brothers go their separate ways. It could be that one goes off to college or one moves 17 hours away, but the bond of brothers cannot be separated by distance, friends, lies, or even the stinking devil Himself – Not when God is in control. It is easy to worry about a brother when you are not close in distance or when you cannot see them often. But God has a plan. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day brings enough trouble of its own.” – Matthew 6:34. God has a plan for each individual and there comes a time when a brother has to realize that he cannot be in control of everything and that each brother needs to become their own, strong man. Even as brothers go their own ways, their bond is one that will never be forgotten or changed. Brothers have to trust that God guides the other brother and that God will keep the friendship strong. No matter where God takes your brother, He is in control and He will be sure to keep your bond strong as long as you keep God as the center of the bond. I have no power and no guarantee that me and my brother will be best friends by trusting on my own abilities; God is the only source of power and strength in every moment, even when we are weak. God will always be the leader of our brotherhood and I need to trust that He and He alone will keep it strong. Why? Because I know that He will. Lord, be with my brother where ever you take him and keep our friendship strong. I have faith that you will. Lord, I believe! Take my unbelief! In Jesus name I pray, Amen.