He Ain’t Heavy …

It’s funny in a lot of ways.  I mean the kind of funny that makes me chuckle whimsically and somewhat ruefully.

For years I’ve desired to be near my brother to be a physical presence in his life encouraging him to pursue all those things of which I know him to be capable.  In all the transitions I’ve gone through over the last ten years, he’s been a constant force of stability, righteousness and support.  Yet there be something in me that detects a change is coming.

The possible nature of that change may bring about that which I’d been looking to give for years … just at the time when it is no longer such a driving thing for me.  Don’t get me wrong, I still want my brother to succeed and all that, but the whole need for me to be there to encourage it along seems a bit redundant now and that is the central point of this blog.

I am proud of David Dryden.

I am not a fan of the phrase ‘I’m proud of …’ there are connotations in my head about swell head and focus off God onto something far less worthy.  So when I use the phrase it has to be understood for what it means.

I mean that when I consider my brother and the life development he’s undergone in the same ten years that I referred to earlier I detect the maturing of a man very much aware of his growing responsibilities and an undercurrent that keeps him committed to acting on those commitments.  I consider a man who puts providing for his family at the heart of what he is and what he does even if that transition is difficult at times because of the sacrifice that is implicit in that.

I consider a man who has inherited our dad’s sense of consistency and understated faithfulness.  I don’t know if he complains often, but I reckon he probably does what we Drydens have done since our debuts on planet earth – internalise everything to process it later, or refer to it later maybe in an unhealthy fashion.

In any case, the brother – my brother – has been married for a number of years now (I think it’s five, which as I calculate is more than four, three, two and one) recently celebrating his wedding anniversary.

He is now the honoured and privileged father of son, Joshua.  David is the first and to all accounts now only Dryden to provide the continuation of the Dryden lineage and that is an achievement in itself.  Yeah, there’s an argument that the achievement is not his, but one of those twists of baby fate that lets one brother produce three girls and the other brother produce a son.  My point is not about how our babies have turned out, it’s about in the light of how things have turned out he has engaged with it and invested his life in the business of now being a father as well as diligent husband and hard worker.

This is just the tip of a significant iceberg of why I state that David holds my admiration.  As his son celebrated his first birthday earlier on, my prayer is that the continued journey of maturation remains David’s theme and his deep and profound faith will draw him ever closer to the realisation of the essence of who he is in his fullness.  I pray for joy and peace to be regular expressions of his life and above all His relationship with God will grow from strength to strength.  (Of course from my perspective I pray that he acknowledges Jesus as Lord, but that’s not my call.)

The reason for this outpouring of admiration for the only blood brother God blessed me with is to commemorate the honour I have of bringing my extended brood down to his crib to share some quality time together with his beautiful family.  It’s the first time I’ve done that since my move from Stoke-on-Trent to Little Hulton.  It means a lot to me to spend some time with my brother and for him to be the recipient of my first overnight visit since the birth of the third addition to the Dryden family.

As I look forward to enjoying what time I can spend with him, I look to the Father and express gratitude as ever that he ain’t heavy …

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

dmcd