Please Don't Stand By

 

Soulfari will be on standby while I post a few reruns this week but I’m asking you to NOT standby. Most of this week is prep time for me...on Sunday I step into eldership (along with another brother) at my my church (Bridge Builders Community Church) and I could use your prayers. This is a step that I do not take lightly and already feel the weight of it...that is why I'm trying to take some time to reflect on all God is asking. So, would you please pray for Mike and I as we enter a new phase of our journey with Christ? I appreciate you all and thank you with all my heart.

If you want to drop me a note, a prayer request, advice, whatever…just send it to jcdude56@gmail.com

I'm re-posting a series on Band of Brothers that I hope will encourage you all. Blessings, Jay

 

We Stand Alone Together – Part 1

It takes two men to make one brother. ~Israel Zangwill

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
Proverbs 17:17 ESV

Recently I have been watching my DVD copy of the HBO series Band of Brothers, which tells the story of Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne Division in World War II. Their motto was…Currahee! We stand alone together! I love this series, and I love listening to the actual accounts of the men who went through extreme sacrifice for their country and for each other. Years have past and these men talk about their “brothers” like they were still in the foxholes with them…their bond was that intimate and deep.

I have been musing about this for days now and the Father led me through an interesting exercise. The outcome of that exercise was mind blowing and I found out this…I am 313 years old…in friend years. Let me explain the exercise and give you a gist of what I discovered.

I wrote down my own band of brothers, using 13 (of my closest friends) as a cutoff number (there are 13 soldiers in the above graphic) and tallied up the number of years we have been friends. Here’s the rough breakdown.

Friend 1 = 47 years
Friend 2 = 37 years
Friend 3 = 35 years
Friend 4 = 35 years
Friend 5 = 35 years
Friend 6 = 20 years
Friend 7 = 20 years
Friend 8 = 20 years
Friend 9 = 20 years
Friend 10 = 18 years
Friend 11 = 11 years
Friend 12 = 7 years
Friend 13 = 3 years

Of these 13 there are five men who I meet monthly with in a group called PointMen, in that group the friend years add to 76. Do you want to know my discovery?

I am rich with friendship years.

I do not compare the stuff my band of brothers has gone through with the sacrifice that members of Easy Company made but we have locked arms through some difficult times…and remained friends. There have been times we have stood alone…together.

We have sat with each in hospital rooms and ER’s, consoled each other when dreams died, encouraged each other when hope were fading and challenged each other when we needed a kick in the pants. We have been together at celebrations and funerals, parties and prayer meetings, vacations and retreats…the common bond of Christ has kept us. I believe in them and I trust they have my back, in deed and in prayer.

Do you have a Band of Brothers?

Do they have your back…and do you cover theirs?

Bless ya!
Jay

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