Today is National Sibling Day on Social Media.
I have a brother who died in 1995. He was 2 years older and was my tormentor when we were kids.
Lester was funny, spirited, intelligent and the life of the party. He would walk into a room and the room stopped and moved to be around him. Everyone wanted to be around him. He was a born salesman (something we got from my Dad), a flirt no matter the gender he was around, and a great conversationalist. I guess you can see I looked up to him.
During his last months of life, we had great conversations. The kind of conversations that sadly would last a lifetime. We talked about his dying and the afterlife. My beliefs against his beliefs. Sin and the judgement of others, that one was short and only one-sided, my side. People believed because my brother was gay, he deserved to get HIV (which leads to AIDS). My brother had HIV for 10 years, the disease finally developed into full-blown AIDS and took his life. He loved life, but the way he died was a testament to how merciful our God is. During our talks, I told him I hoped he went to sleep one night and didn't wake up. Based on what he had witnessed, he said that it wouldn't happen that way. On the night he died, his blood pressure dropped, and he went to sleep. The doctors could not wake him up and couldn't get his blood pressure to come up, or his heart to start again. The doctor told me "He went to sleep and did not suffer." God heard my statement and heard my heart's desire and answered my prayer.
Ephesians 2:4 (NIV) "But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy..."
I know God answered this prayer with a yes because of the way Lester died. I know I will see my brother one day on the other side. John 10:28 (ESV) I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand." No sin he committed can render his salvation null and void.
SO...until I get to heaven to join my family, Happy National Siblings day to my wonderfully funny and incredible loving brother. I miss you
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