A Brother

 

My younger brother was a character.  Phillip was impetuous and full of life.  I still have a necktie that belonged to him.  He tied it and the small end of the tie was too long, but instead of retying the tie, he cut the small end off to match the front.  That was Phillip.  Phillip and I slept in twin beds in the back bedroom of our house in Maryland.  One night, on a lark, he got out of bed in the wee hours of the morning, crept over to my bed, slugged me in the shoulder, and jumped back into his bed.  I woke up, disoriented, and saw Phillip sleeping.  I thought that I had had a bad dream, but my shoulder was hurting.  As I was rubbing my eyes trying to think, I heard Phillip snicker under his covers.  I jumped on him, and the fight was on!  Twice in high school, I had to finish fights that he had started.  Afterwards, I let him have it for involving me in his troubles.  Phillip’s life was shortened by a car accident in 1969.  He was sixteen and I was eighteen.  I was close to my brother, but when I trusted Jesus Christ as my Savior in 1956, I found a Brother that was even closer.  Earthly relationships are sweet, but Jesus is the best friend that you could ever have.  Oh yes, He is!  Proverbs 18:24 “… there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”  Hey, don’t neglect your best friend, Jesus Christ.