Easter Past

I don't even know where to start this. Last night I could just not sleep due to things on my mind. Two events occured yesterday that brought this on. I had things clicking in the back of my mind and had to get them out. Now please keep in mind that I know God is leading me down this emotional writing path I've recently stumbled upon. Those of you that know me well know that I'm a check person; fellings-in check, emotions-in check, so this is new territory for me. Please bare with me for the poor compostion of this but I am just doing as God leads me, no questions asked, just doing.
My Sunday started out as usual. We got to church for the 9:00 service. My husband and oldest son teach the 5-yr-old class while I door greet. After the service gets going I do my typical Sunday routine. I go to the Sonic down the road and get breakfast for us. Usual fare, 4 breakfast burritos, water with lemon for the hubby, Dr. Pepper for the oldest, root beer for the youngest and Diet Coke for me. While at Sonic I felt the need to call my older brother. The reason I needed to speak to him was to check on his oldest son we will call JC. JC has been in some sort of trouble since he was 16. He is now 23 and living in a restitution home due to the latest plea deal he has taken for his latest offense. This is a tall, lean, very athletic, nice looking young man who has all the potential in the world. However, somewhere between his soph and jr years of high school he decided that smoking pot and drinking were more important than being the starting quarterback of a 5A football team. I am concerned how JC will be once he is released in June. Will he have changed his life or will he resort to his old ways.

As the 2nd worship service started we took our usual seats, half-way back on the edge of the middle aisle. Our associate pastor began the announcements that started the second event of things clicking in the back of my mind. The announcement of Easter services were discussed. It wasn't until after church that I really started to think about Easter. Not so much about Easter itself but events that occured some 23 years earlier. Things I had not thought of in a long while. In that week leading up to Easter I remember coming to my Dad's shop after school. I could tell something was on his mind. He told me the devastating news, my older sister-10 years my senior-was diagnosed with leukemia. I didn't know how to react. Even though I was just a 14-yr-old 8th grader I was already that check person-emotions,feelings.

Now I am sure you are wondering what these two events have to do with one another. That Easter we spent at my sisters little rental home on Canton Ave. here in Lubbock. Mom, Dad, step-parents, my brother, his wife and guess who, little JC. JC was the light of my sisters life. She just adored him. I remember her sitting in her kitchen that day holding his busy 7-month-old body. I remember that day fondly due to it being the last time my family was all together with my sister fairly healthy. The next day my parents took my sister to Houston to begin the fight of her life. For the next 9 months my sister went through many trials and tribulations to numerous to account for here. Two things that were always constant were her love for the Lord and the joy JC brought her. My sister was not afraid to die but she loved life and was going to live it to the fullest.

So, the conclusion I come to is this, I wish JC would have really known his aunt. Because of her love for life and for him, I know she would have wanted so much more for him. He has the life to go and be all he can be when hers was cut short at the precious age of 24. My sister was larger than life and she was full of the Lord. My prayer for JC is that he find his way back to Christ. I know he has been saved but he has opted for that path of sin we all travel. My hope for him is that he find his way through the wilderness to the higher path of rightousness. Please pray for JC>