I got to cash in a money order for $100 yesterday, and it hasn’t left my mind. It hasn’t left because over the whole entire last three decades, receiving that would not have been possible. Not from the one who sent it.
It has been a long journey of addiction, prison sentences, and then addiction, and more time served, and then addiction...For so long I was terrified that was going to be the forever story of my oldest brother. The forever unbreakable cycle, it had nearly washed him right away.
But God.
Tired of being teased with good news, my soul just couldn’t take the promising months because I knew the drop to the horrid long-lasting lows.
This, THIS year, last year, I can *even* say the last few years, whole entire years have been my actual brother, back and sound and smiling and looking right at you, helping other men transition from prison to freedom, choosing accountability and a new life for himself.
The most precious thing, I can truly say, is this money order that arrived in the mail. In all these years, with four brothers who have struggled with the law, addiction of sorts, and super low lows, I haven’t had many glimpses of a brother being able to give something to my kids. (And that’s ok; we aren’t gift-hungry; hear my heart here.)
This time for the first time ever, my brother mailed me something for my son.
It’s exactly half of our cost to send Greyson to the National Championship for 7v7 next week in Florida. The blessed boy was handpicked by Deion Sanders to travel with the team he coaches and be the back up QB to his son.
When I told my brother, a huge music and sports fan, he immediately said he wanted to pay half.
When I told my brother, a huge music and sports fan, he immediately said he wanted to pay half.
My heart.
It’s kind of how I envisioned family since I was a little girl, siblings supporting each other and loving on nieces and nephews. It’s not how all of this has unfolded for us, but I am just so touched that God is still answering prayers and bringing long-ago prayers to fruition.
It gives me hope. Hope that our other homeless brother won’t forever be in his web of addiction and that the more stable ones will continue with fewer lows and take more steps toward the Lord. Rick had the honor of leading one of them to the Lord on the porch of our Mom’s house two years ago...I can’t even...
As far as my oldest brother, it’s not even about the money; it’s about the fact that he is doing well enough to have it together enough to do this. He’s ok.
One of my forever verses, a picture of Jesus, reminds me so often of the ones our society labels as nobodies. With so much of my heart attached to brothers that the world can so easily call nobodies, this one, this verse right here, it fills my spirit with Expectant Joy because of all the HOPE inside those words.
Pursuing Hope, Emily
