Love through Service

Not a day goes by that I don't think of my brother. I miss him so much. He has been a great motivating factor at times when I am trying to decide whether or not I should participate in something, or in how I want my attitude to be. For example, I had signed up to "Spread Sunshine to Seniors" as part of a service project through church, and on that Saturday morning I really didn't feel like going. I knew if I went I would probably enjoy it and if I stayed home I'd get a lot done, but what finally got me to make up my mind (and GO) was thinking of Brandon's love for seniors. I knew that if he were here, he would go and he would love being there. Now I don't feel like I always need to do whatever he would have done, but I was grateful for his example of showing his love for others through service. He truly lived a life of service.

Before Christmas Brandon told me that he really wanted to do something for Austin and I that we couldn't do for ourselves. I thought about it and told him that we needed to have a tree trimmed, which our homeowners insurance claimed was too close to the chimney. He stayed with us for almost two weeks in December and January, and even though it was freezing outside and we didn't have the right tools, Brandon spent half the day up in that tree, trimming off the offending branches. He even insisted on chopping it all up and left it in neat piles of kindling, smaller branches, and logs. He didn't believe in leaving a job half finished.

He also tried to teach me how to get the marks off my stove top when he was here. I was irritable and wouldn't listen, told him I didn't care, but now I wish I'd let him. It was just another small way in which he was trying to serve me.