Grateful

The last few weeks have been pretty trying.  I've held it together for the most part.  I want to say thank you to my small group for being there for us.  I know that I can talk to all of them, and they genuinely care about what I'm saying.  I haven't talked a whole lot, but I know I could if I needed to.  I want to say thank you to my old friends that have been around through it all.  Even though time and distance separate us, I'm appreciative for your care and concern.  Thank you for the pep talks. Thank you for just saying how sorry you are.  This whole thing hasn't made a lot of sense from the beginning.  It's good to know that there are people that are just there to lean on.  Thank you for being those people.  Thank you to my wife for being very patient and understanding.  Thank you for letting me have a minute to process this.  Thank you for being there for my parents.  Thank you to my parents for raising me to be the man that can be strong for them when they're not strong.  Again, this hasn't made sense from the beginning, and I know it never will for you two.  If you've made, or bought food, sent flowers, or cards, or texted, or hugged, or cried, or laughed, or sent flowers, or shared your memories of my brother, thank you.  I'm thankful for you.  I'm thankful for a God of grace and mercy,  that has a plan (that doesn't make a whole lot of sense sometimes), who is still in charge of all of this.  Thank you.  Thank you for Jesus.  I'm thankful that I'm not worried about where my brother is today.