Uncle Jason

I know, right? Two days in a row. Craaaaazzzzy.

I couldn't let today go by without blogging. Today is a special day and as I mentioned in the post entitled "Saving Grace" - I'm all about celebrating special days.

Today is the anniversary of the day I became a sister...aka - today, is my brother's birthday :)

I prayed for seven years for a sister. God gave me a brother. Thankfully, I knew enough ahead of time to prepare for that.  By then I had decided that sisters were mostly-probably trouble anyway, and that some day I could have a sister-in-law. I remember the day he was born - I think about it often. It was the first special day I can remember.

I imagined a healthy baby to help take care of. God created my brother with a heart defect. I skipped out to the parking lot thrilled that my baby brother was coming a whole month early!  Little did I know that it was to save his life. The weeks that followed weren't what I imagined. He was in the hospital a long time. My mom was too, and most of that time is really a blur. But I remember the first time I saw him through glass - these huge brown eyes on this tiny premie body and wires attached to his chest. He and I locked eyes and I had a brother. I loved him. And that's all that mattered.

I prayed that God would heal his heart instantly. He didn't. Through the years of a seven year age gap we laughed, we fought, we had good times, we had not so good times that we now mostly laugh about. His heart defect was corrected when he was 11 - which is exactly how old my son is right now. I remember that day too. So many risks swirling into fears. I remember watching him get wheeled away... I was an adult but I cried like a baby. That was a special day because God answered our prayers that day. It took 11 years but it was worth the wait.

I had prayed for someone I could play with and have fun with. God gave me a best friend. I wouldn't trade him for a hundred sisters. I wouldn't trade him for anything or anyone. He is far more than I ever prayed for as a child and far more than I prayed that he would become as an adult. No one makes me laugh the way he does. He challenges me and supports me. He is there for me always no matter if he's 15 minutes away at home, or thousands of miles away on a mission trip in Africa. He is the most loving uncle anyone would want for their children, and although he officially has one niece and one nephew I can tell you that there is a little Chinese girl who has no idea how blessed she's about to be - because she will have an "Uncle Jason".

Happy Birthday dear brother. I'm so glad you were born, I'm so grateful for the memories we have and have to look forward to, and I can't wait to cheer you on as the rest of your life unfolds. I love you.