To Love A Brother

As Christ-followers in the family of God, there’s an amazing bond that quickly surfaces among brothers and sisters in the Lord.

I’ve often marveled at the people God has brought into my life over the years—those I often have had little in common with outside of our faith, yet who I sometimes have formed the closest friendships with because of that faith.

This anomaly can only be explained by the love of God.

This poem is dedicated to those notable friendships centered on the love of God—that special love of the brethren.

Why do I love you . . .
This I asked myself today.
Does the answer come that easily?
For the things you do and say
From a heart so tender and kind,
I searched deep in my memory,
Not many such hearts to I find.

I’d seen you here and there,
And known you quite awhile,
Another place, another face,
Perhaps an occasional smile.

Never did I stop and think
Or take the time to see,
The heart and beauty of your life,
All that God’s made you to be.

Then one day I turned and you were there,
Your eyes held a peace I had failed to see;
I looked therein and saw myself,
I saw the real you, I saw the real me.

We stopped and smiled at one another,
I realized then you were my brother.

The kindness and love you’ve shown,
The time you took to care.
These have drawn me close to you
And enabled us to share
From the depths of our hearts a love so real
That it far surpasses all we think or feel.

It warms my heart to be near you,
To see the love in your eyes,
To know that no matter what I do
You’ll never condemn or sympathize.

I can lay forth my life before you
And be who I really am,
As together we reach to the heart of God,
Together we stand, His chosen gems.

While we gently unfold our hearts,
We laugh, we live, we share,
I grow to love you more and more
And offer to you a perfect prayer.

For how can I show you how thankful I am,
Like you there is no other.
So I’ll be to you as you are to me,
A precious friend, a brother.

Copyright © 2017 Cheryl Elton