It was condo move out day, but not before an afternoon of appointments at the cancer center. My brother’s bone marrow transplant, for the second time in a month, was halted. His blood was not within the parameters needed to move forward. Intervention chemo must first be done. Thus, he was leaving the rented, local condo needed for a transplant and going to commute from his home for weekly appointments. The mood that morning was not even bittersweet. It was bitter and sour.
As my sister-in-love and I were packing up last minute odds and ends, my brother let out a holler. From his tone, there wasn’t a doubt that all was not well. Charging into the bedroom, we encountered both my brother’s weak body and his nondisabled dismay. Truth be told, my brother looked comical. My sister-in-love and I knew better than to laugh. There stood my brother, out of PJs for the first time in a week, gripping his humongous shorts with one hand and shaking his other fist at me. Seeing me, he yelled “You stole my belt. How am I to keep my shorts up? I want my belt back.”.
Let me offer some clarification. One week prior, my brother, his back throbbing in pain from a bone marrow biopsy, attempted to garner enough strength to stand for a lumbar spine X-ray. My having lost the pre-appointment battle to get him to wear athletic shorts, there he was garbed in cargo shorts with metal buttons and zipper, not one but two wallets and a half pound phone case stowed away in his pockets. Completing his ensemble was a heavy weight, extra wide leather belt with a buckle that would make a WWE wrestler proud. Need I remind you; his back was in unbearable pain?
The X-ray tech looked at my brother and, ever so kindly, informed him he had two choices – privately change into a hospital gown or publicly drop his britches. Choosing the later in an attempt to do the least painful maneuver, the tech and I eased my sibling from the wheelchair. Let me just say, before the X-ray was completed, my brother’s feet got tangled in his cargo shorts; and he and the arm of the X-ray machine slid down to the floor.
As the tech pulled my brother up, I liberated his feet from his shorts. During the process, I stowed the wallets, phone and case and belt in a hospital bag. I announced that not until he returned to health would the phone case and belt return to him. The wallets and phone were negotiable.
Back to the appointment at hand and my brother correctly reminding me that I did, indeed, steal his belt. Honestly, the belt was long gone. I couldn’t have returned it even if I had wanted to; and, yes, I knew fully well that the term “thief” was applicable to me. However, instinctively, instead of apologizing to my brother, I sought bartering with God. It was a “Thou shalt not steal; but, uh, God, can’t we negotiate just this once” moment. Long story short, God’s reaction was to table this discussion and bring a more pertinent ruling to my awareness.
My brother’s continuing to accuse me of helping myself to his possessions, brought my attention back to the issue at hand – his needing to be decently clothed for his afternoon at the cancer center. My rectification for my thievery was simple. There was a strip mall about a mile from the rented condo. I, also, had time to run out and solve the problem. My brother shouted, “Good, get a 36-inch belt”. I squawked back “Nope, I’m getting smaller shorts”. Under my breath, I mumbled “with a draw string”.
On my drive to the store, I rejoined God in conversation. I told Him there was only one franchise store in that strip mall carrying men’s clothing. I needed His “can do any and every thing” power. My request was simply: “Please, please, please, help me find shorts my brother will like that are fashionable, light weight, draw string waist and zipper front, numerous cargo pockets with one designed with a hidden zipper for a cell phone, and in a size 36. Oh, and could they also come in three different colors, so this will be a one trip mission to adequately update my brother’s wardrobe.”.
Confident in God’s power, I entered the store thinking my pursuit would be a two-minute stroll. It was a twenty-minute, obstacle course marathon. Literally, I scoured every nook and cranny as well as rack and stack within the shop. Only after rummaging the store from top to bottom did my mitts latch on to the absolute “all requirements present” pair of shorts. God came through as my soul knew he would. My brother would be happy, and he would be comfortably hassle free in his attire. I was elated. However, in complete disclosure, God didn’t share my elation.
Driving back to the condo, I resumed my convo with God. Gratitude filled my words as I rambled on how perfect a garment He had materialized. Prone not to know when to shut my mouth, I did go on to admit a little regret that God sent only one pair and not the three colors I had specifically requested. This cracked a slight opening for God to fully unfold a lesson far beyond finding a pair of shorts. God jumped on my disappointment with His patient “Let Me open your eyes to what you seem blind to see” enlightenment.
I wanted three colors. God labeled this as whip cream and a cherry. He gave the necessity of what was needed. A life and death battle is going on. Step by step, faithfully, God is dealing with and providing the necessities. Why then do I bemoan there is no whip cream and a cherry? Why had I lost focus on being blessed with receiving from God, bit by bit, what is necessary to faithfully keep fighting this worldly battle? God is not throwing a party topped off with whip cream and a cherry. He is in the trenches, right next to my brother, giving what is needed moment to moment and sustaining his life against all worldly attacks.
What’s more, God is doing the same for you as you confront and fight your battle. Most likely, you too aren’t getting whip cream and a cherry; but just like my brother, God is with you and sustaining you with the step-by-step necessities to fight your battle and, one way or the other, to defeat Satan, the true enemy attacking all God’s children. No longer do I ask God for wants. Instead, I thank Him for giving what is needed, exactly when it is needed.
Uplifted in a Broken Down World 