A Friend that Sticks Closer than a Brother

I was walking the other day due to a dear and trusted friend's cajoling -

"You NEED to get outside every day!"

She told me this after I confessed to her
how hard it had been to get off the couch lately
and shamefully how one day last week I kept my
nightgown on all day ... only to go back to sleep in it that night!

After taking her advice and knowing she was right and that I needed
to do this because it was good for me ... I laced up some snowboots,
grabbed  my headgear and mittens, and headed southeast on Brown Hill Road.
And I have to admit - the crisp air felt so refreshing.

Clean, clear air.

Quiet

Open

Space.

Nobody needing anything from me
No arguments to bust up or mediate

Ah,

this was nice.

Hey, I used to do this all the time, didn't I?

Um,
I mean
Didn't WE?

And then I began to meditate on the scripture verse that says
"He's a friend that sticks closer than a brother."

And me, the people watcher that I am, thought of all the
sister brother combinations I could think of? Focusing especially upon
the dynamics in our home with PJB and her four brothers.
And even then the brother dynamic with each brother combination;
I don't think it's what it should be?
Or maybe it should.

Humanity fails us.
People hurt us.
People let us down.

Am I my brother's keeper?
(I should be!)
But in reality, we fail one another - we have, we do and we will.
Period.

Chances are in life I will hurt you, I will offend you, I will let you down.
If I had been blessed in life and had an earthly brother, chances are he would've left me,
he would've let me down,

but here I was - face to face with my creator
and it was like he was saying, "Look, I'm still here. I'm still with you.
I am your friend and I will stick with you no matter what."

Even if I had a blood brother, he couldn't come close to the closeness that I can have with you, Jesus!
YOU will never leave me,
YOU will never forsake me.
You care about me intimately and personally.
You delight in my smile.
You rejoice over me with singing.
You are my beloved, and I am yours.

Thank you Lord for being my friend and for sticking so close to me ... I love you.
Please help each and every one of us to take our eggs OUT of humanity's basket
and place them in yours.