jakorte's blog

Like most families, my brothers and I are very much different, yet sometimes, very much the same.

The profound loss of many loved ones, the stress of my full-time job, the expenses of our retail store, the failing health of my husband, and my own weight issues, drove me into semi-seclusion. I have a habit of “turtling� when I am overwhelmed.

As a result, my younger brother and I had not spoken much for almost a year. Then, one day, seemingly out of the blue, he called with an invitation. My nephew, Mitchell, was going to be baptized, and Todd had called to invite Jeff and me to attend. I did not hesitate to say, “Yes.�

But, I was surprised at what came next. “There’s something else you should know,� he said. “I too am getting baptized.�

What a lightening bolt moment for me; I credit this to be my first in a series of lovingly patient God-smacks.

For nearly a year, Todd and I had been on the same path and did not even know it. For nearly a year, we had been investing in knowledge, and discovering our own beliefs. I said, “I’ll come to yours, if you come to mine.�

It turned out that our baptisms were scheduled just a few weeks apart. We attended each other’s with great joy. I still tear-up thinking about the circumstances surrounding our individual acceptance of Christ, and the re-convergence of our lives.

God was laying the foundation for a greater love, and providing a rock-solid source of strength that only HE knew that both Jeff and I would need in the days ahead.

jak