It was the middle of the summer and a group of churches had come together to host a county-wide crusade.  I remember the strangeness of seeing all of this activity stretched out on the Locust baseball field. You could feel the excitement and I loved the ventriloquist and the story of the little tree who was trying to please God with its sacrifices. I am pretty sure that we still have the Geraldine and Ricky album.

My brother, Danny, suffered from Muscular Dystrophy.  Although I was only 7 years old, I could notice the toll that it was beginning to take.  He was walking with more of a hitch and falling more often.  Our play became much less rambunctious.  Three years later, at 15, he would fall in the bathroom at West Stanly High School while kicking away a toilet roll.  He would never walk again.

But, Danny was not a complainer.  In reality, He was a great big brother and the kindest person I have ever known.  The only semi-bad thing I can remember was the tiddlywink incident.  You see, we lied about that one. 

I was about six, the summer before the crusade.  At a Sunday school picnic, I was finally brave enough to try the monkey bars.  These bars were remarkably high for elementary school, but after one successful trip I was on my way back for a victory lap.  My hand slipped and I tried to cushion my fall.  A trip to the emergency room confirmed two fractured wrists.

It was a couple of weeks later when the incident happened.  Danny and I had just finished taking a bath and we were brushing our teeth getting ready for bed.  I cannot remember the actually board game that provided the tiddlywinks but I can remember their size….and taste.  For some reason, as we were clowning around Danny said, “Hey, why don’t you eat one of these?”  He was joking of course and there was no mal-intent, but as he put the quarter-sized plastic playing piece in my mouth something really strange occurred.  I swallowed it.  Then, the panic was on.  As I struggled to breath, my parents tried everything (except for the Heimlich Maneuver) to dislodge the obstruction.  I can still remember my older brother Joey grabbing me by the feet and shaking me upside down, all to no avail.

Here’s the thing.  Danny and I had a long standing deal.  We didn’t tell on each other.  We might use it as a bargaining chip sometime down the road, but we were certainly not going to rat each other out.  So, we made up a story.  In between gasps for air, we scrambled.  Both of my arms were in casts, so we used that to our advantage.  We made up the most unbelievable story, “I was reaching for the tiddlywink that was on the top shelf and it fell straight into my mouth!”  Here’s the funny part.  People believed us.  And they continued to believe us for the next decade. 

I don’t know what kind of sin must have been on Danny’s mind that rainy summer night at the crusade.  Certainly, it was more serious than tiddlywinks, but for some strange reason, there we were, right in the middle of the baseball field waiting for my brother to finish talking with a counselor.  We all got wet and it made me wonder what the big deal was.

So, the next night I resolved to pay attention.  The hymns were clearer. The ventriloquist made me cry and the preacher spoke straight to me.  Jesus died for me and my seven-year-old heart.

Every life decision and commitment comes down to this very foundational reality.  Jesus loves me immensely and is intimately involved in my life!