A Last Note to My Brother & Communication I'll Miss

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul - Psalm 143:8

I lost my brother unexpectedly this week. It has left a lot of questions for those of us closest to Him who know Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. At the same time my thoughts this week were about great inventions of our time that keep us connected. Two of the greatest inventions of this time have been the laptop computer and personal and private communication using it. The laptop means I no longer have to stay tethered to an office to be productive in my business life. E-mail, Skype, Webinars and Chat services have allowed me to stay connected to people all around the world with just a few keystrokes.

My greatest frustration is when either of these doesn't work. Sometimes communication services cannot be used because I can't get a connection. Sometimes I cannot use my laptop because I have not properly charged it, and then the charge runs out while I am on an airplane. Both of these situations mean I am unable to tap into the resource that allows me to fulfill my calling in my work to the fullest.

What does this have to do with the death of my oldest brother. Just this, neither of those things prevented me from having a relationship with him. He used neither of them. He didn't care to use them. For Al and I it was a short phone call and long breakfasts, lunches and just hanging out and watching sports together. It was a family picnic, birthday or anniversary.

The best of communication may not mean the best of relationship building. I was grateful to have these last 26 years to do that with my big brother. He and I talked about loving and caring for each other and because of this closeness we had no fear of doing loving things for one another.

The morning time with God is much like these situations. I wake up expecting to meet God when I begin my devotional time. He does not disappoint me. God pours His Word into my human spirit, and I am recharged with a clarity of purpose and vision. He provides me security which allows me to enter my day in peace, and not disheveled by the opening bell on a new day of activity.

This recharging has an important effect on my day. It allows me the greatest opportunity to hear the small voice that directs my steps. If I refuse to "get connected," I risk following my own ways of fulfilling the duties of my day. This usually means I am disquieted, and easily unraveled. I know I can trust self less than I could my Father God. I simply do not have His insight. My time alone with God sets forth the opportunity for Him to speak into my spirit what He desires for me each day. It allows me to focus on God's purposes, not mine or not what I think His purpose might be for me.

The only way to know someone is to spend time with him or her. The only way to discern the voice of another is to hear that person's voice. David, the author of the Psalm at the top of this thought, was a warrior, king, and businessman. He understood this principle of connecting with God in the morning. His morning allowed him to connect with God's love, renew his trust in Him, and hear His directions for his life.

I challenged my folks at the Church on Rogers Street here in Mesa, AZ to begin immediately to start each day with a time of prayer, worship, Bible reading and quiet contemplation/meditation with God each morning. Write down what you believe He has spoken into you. If you are unsure and this is new to you, then check it out with a wise, hearing mentor in the faith...but begin!

I will miss my brother. I was honored to be in and a part of his life. Those weekly times together...just knowing and speaking the Word of Life, of God into his life and allowing him to bless me in so many ways is already missed. I pray to one day see Al and Jesus...until then, "Lord, I am listening." I remain...

InHISgrip,
~J~