Hugging Cousins

Stephen and Cathy

His name is Stephen.
The son of Dallas and Nancy.
The grandson of Marshall and Nan.
The brother of Katie, Dallas, Patty and Dixie.
The husband of Cathy, with a "C" (who has one of the best laughs ever!).
The salutatorian of his Marietta, Georgia high school.
The graduate of Georgia Tech.
The possessor of a steel trap of a mind and memory.
The guy who loves to work in wind tunnels for a living.
The man who has hiked about every mountain in America.
The most passionate Atlanta Braves fan in San Diego, California.
The fittest 50 year old I know with about 7% body fat.
Best of all...
He's my cousin and I got to hug him today!

Stephen was born on February 28th.
Five days later in 1963 I arrived.
Legend has it that my name was supposed to be Stephen.
That name got taken 120 hours before I showed up so I got the name David.

If I had to guess, I bet Stephen and I have not spent more than 100 days together over the last 50 years. And yet...
We know each other better than most.
It's not because we are family that we are close.
Something else exists that makes it possible to be friends to such a fine and deep degree that the only word that comes to describe our bond is "mystery."

The memories and the stories that we share that make us laugh our butts off, make our respective brides look at each in wonder... wondering how did these two "boys" ever make it to age 50!

We would never be "kissing cousins", but we are "hugging cousins."

My iWitness...

His name was Jesus.
The son of Joseph and Mary
The cousin of John the Baptist.
When John the Baptist first met Jesus, he leapt in his mother's womb for joy and delight!
I wonder how many days John and Jesus spent together in their short life together.
I wonder if they took hikes together.
I wonder if they ever played ultimate Frisbee or Hacky Sack.
I wonder how many times Jesus played a practical joke on John where they laughed their butts off.
I wonder if Jesus ever had lunch with John and together they ate grasshoppers and honey.
I wonder if they ever talked about their impending and respective ministries to which they had both been called.
John had an incredible ministry. Everyone in the region came out to be baptized by him in the River Jordan. Even Jesus came out to be baptized by His cousin who was six months His senior.

When the ministry of Jesus started, I love what John had said about his own ministry at the time...

"May I decrease and may you (Jesus) increase." (John 3. 30)John's words resonate to this day every time I have the privilege of preaching.
My prayer before preaching echoes John's sentiments...
"May we decrease and may You increase..."

I just have a feeling when John baptized Jesus and after the Holy Spirit descended like a dove and after God the Father bellowed, "This is my son with whom I am pleased. Listen to him...", I just have to believe that John and Jesus, with the murky waters of the Jordan river up to their knees, their robes dripping wet, the afternoon sun beating down on their darkened skin, with the course of history in the balance, I just have to believe that John and Jesus hugged...

Hugging cousins...

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

ps - I love you Stephen!