My little brother is a grown-up

I honestly have no idea when this happened. Michael has always been my "little" brother, and now he's all grown-up, living in DC with an important job, paying taxes, and doing other things that adults do. I have Michael freeze-framed in my mind as being 12 (I have no idea why 12...I would have been 16 and maybe that was an important year for me or something), but yesterday, I called him for advice. I rarely do this, because I literally see him as being 12. But, I had a family question, and I trust and respect him, and knew he would have good counsel. And, of course, he did. I hung up the phone amazed at how mature he sounded at the age of 24.

Sometimes I take my family for granted, or have them "freeze framed" at a certain age or season of life. I think it's so unfortunate when I do this, because I miss out on letting people change...or noticing that people have changed. I give up easily or write people off. And I miss out on things like realizing that my little brother is now a grown-up, a good one at that, and can offer me counsel. Or, like finding out that someone in the family is becoming more forgiving, or less judgemental, or even more fun. I'm not sure if this is even making sense, but I guess what I'm trying to say is that my prayer today was that I wouldn't miss what God was up to in the lives of the people around me because I have them "pegged" as being a certain way.

For some reason this thought keeps bringing to mind one of my favorite verses in the book of Isaiah ( I really love the book of Isaiah, by the way):"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it?" (Is. 43:18-19).

I love the reminder to forget the former things and see that God is doing a new thing. (sidebar - I also love the word dwell in the verse, since I've been into that concept lately...). A great thing to remember with the people that we love.

Thanks, Michael, for being a tangible reminder of that for me yesterday. I think you are turning into quite an awesome grown-up.