Tad, age 25 yelled at his 35 year old brother, "You need help tying your shoes again?!" Tad looked impatiently at his watch, crouched and snatched Brett's laces from him. "We're late for church, dude."
Brett looked at Tad, concerned, "I thought we go to church to learn to be
nice."Brett looked at Tad's pants, so tight they were stretching at the seems. "You can borrow some of my pants if you want to, brother."
"No offense," Tad said. "but I wouldn't be caught dead in your pants." Brett
looked down at his pants and said, "I wish I didn't have to wear pants."
...
As they walked into church Brett said, "Tad, that guy is sad." Tad looked over. The homeless guy who often came in for coffee was bent forward on the couch.
"Sorry, we can't or we're gonna miss worship."
But before they got through the sanctuary door Tad bumped into a pastor and stopped to talk with him for a few minutes. Brett looked back worriedly at the homeless man.
...
During worship Brett started clapping. He loved these songs. But apparently he was the only one because Tad stopped him.
...
The message did hit Tad pretty hard and he prayed, "God, please show me a vision of who you want me to be." It felt like God answered him so rarely. "At least I sacrifice for my brother."
...
At the singles potluck in the park behind the church, it started to rain. All the young adult singles, done up in their polo shirts and summer skirts huddled under a big tent.
Being in such tight quarters, Tad's friend Garrett, decided to ask him what he got out of the message. Tad answered, "Yeah, I want God to show me a vision of who He wants me to be."
Just then a chuckle burst from the women beside him. They were looking at something out in the park. Tad looked and saw his overweight, clumsy down-syndrome brother running through the grass with his hands lifted to the sky singing off key but with a sincerity none of them could deny, "Our God rains! Our God rains!" He was in his t-shirt and pant-less.
Everyone's laughter faded into the background. Tad remembered his mother's last words, "Tad, if you ever lose your North, look to your brother."
He shook his head slightly, and smiled as he prayed, "Maybe you do still answer prayers."
Raw Spoon, 5-13-19
