One friend. One brother.
Jeff's birthday is today. If you read my blog yesterday, you already know that.
When you have been friends with someone for over 40 years who is not related to you genetically, you realize there is way more to the "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice" teaching of Jesus than than you might realize.
Jeff is my dear friend. Jeff is my brother.
We have shared tragedy in our "family" from a very early age. Over the years, we have had our share of sickness and suffering, both our own, and especially those who are most dear to us. We have experienced deaths that take part of your very soul and you just have to give that broken piece to God and let him shape it and put it back. Through it all we have experienced the extraordinary power of God's grace.
And we have shared triumph; in particular the absolute gift of marrying amazing women who have joined with us in raising some pretty "healthy" kids.
Children "blessed" with the experience of having to be coached in basketball by two dads reliving their own shared experience of playing together in that J.I. Case Fieldhouse so long ago. Two dads who were freaks.
Alright Katherine, Greta, Sam, Kristina, Greg and David, you probably have heard these goofy anecdotes (and you know how crazy we still are), but some of these readers may not have heard about your dads.
May not have heard about one of us who was such a freak he who would do pushups in he middle of the game right in front of everyone in the stands, right there on the court before the ref handed him the ball to shot free throws; the same guy who would smile and say "Give me more!" when he was elbowed in the gut, and then there is the other freak, Mr. OCD, who would eat the same pregame meal of steak and toast with honey on it, and then in the locker room just before tipoff, he would wet his hair down (when he had hair), so it looked like he was a bit psycho (actually Norman Bates was his model for this), singing "Bethcha' By Golly, Wow" by the Stylistics over and over again until the ball was tossed…
We tapped into our inner Dennis Rodman before anyone ever heard of Dennis Rodman.
So, to the one whose wisdom has been absolutely critical at key kairos moments of my life, to the one who is still my "go to" guy whenever I need to deeply hear from the Lord concerning family, ministry, and life itself, I love you as my brother and I thank God for putting us in Beebee School together so long ago. Two guys still being expanded by each other, out from the "hood," S. Elmwood Dr. to Daisy Lane…
Happy Birthday, Jeff. I don't know why, but the tune in my head at this very moment is "Doing the Racoon" (player piano melody and all).
Posted via email from how to be a christian without being a jerk!
