I've been thinking a lot lately about my big brother Andy.  Now, when I say "big brother" I simply mean older.  It's probably true that I'm actually the bigger one, especially if a scale has anything to say about it.  Nonetheless, I still refer to Andy as my big brother because I look up to him and probably will for the rest of my life. 

     Andy is seven years older than me but pretty much from the get go, we had a special relationship.  Sure there were arguments and wrestling matches from time to time but we have always been close.  In fact, I love to dig out the old family videos (still on VHS) and one of my favorites is a family Christmas soon after I was born.  Andy got me an incredible gift!  It was a stuffed whale with little stuffed fish attached to its mouth.  Now, don't get freaked out...I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be the whale from the story of Jonah in the Bible and if not, then maybe it was a weird gift but awesome at the same time!

     Andy and I began a new journey together the day our father decided to leave our family when I was eight years old.  Without getting into the story, I can definitely say that it was Andy that stepped in to save the day for me.  He became more than just my brother and filled in as a father.  Andy taught me things about sports, school, God and of course girls!  I can even remember conversations with Andy when I had questions about how to act around girls so I wouldn't scare them away and I think he gave me pretty good advice.  I mean, I'm married now to an incredible woman.  The advice on kissing must have paid off!

     As I've grown up over the years and graduated from high school, then college and got married, Andy has turned into my closest friend.  I can trust him with anything and owe him much.  He was my brother when I needed him to be, a father to me when dad was gone and a friend at all times.  I remember how honored I was that Andy accepted my offer to be my best man at my wedding as well as how honored I was to be his best man at his wedding even though I was still pretty young and immature.

     Of course Andy was still a big brother in the way that he liked to give me a hard time.  He liked sticking bows to my little bald head at my first Christmas and laughing at me when I broke my ceiling light by accident and screamed "why me?"  He even laughed at me one time when I accidentally stepped in our dogs poop barefoot in the house one day.  I will definitely never forget how partially petrified I was when he gave a toast as my best man at my wedding reception and wished that Alicia and I would have a successful marriage and be "great lovers" in front of a crowd of very conservative Baptists!  That's Andy though...never afraid to break the mold and that's what I admire most about him.

     I chose to begin my blogging experience with this topic because it was so clear to me that Andy has played such a vital role in my life.  While there have been many others who have impacted my life greatly, I would have to say it was Andy that was just there for me time and again.  Andy, you are an amazing brother and my greatest friend aside from my wife that is.  Thank you for being there for me through tough times and being there to cheer me on during my successes.  You have been an incredible example of God's love to me!

     How about you?  What stories of great friends or siblings do you have?