My brother was living with cancer.

I prayed all day, every day

for him to get better.

My sole heart’s desire

was for him to be well.

He was my favorite person.

Ever.

One day he took a

turn for the worse.

Now, it would take

a miracle to save him.

I’d never seen him complain.

But now he was hurting—

he’d dropped his smile.

I didn’t want someone I loved

to suffer.

My selfish desire

changed to compassion.

So, I sacrificed

my faith.

I stopped praying for him to live

and instead wished

for him to die.

I woke the next morning

to a perfect summer day.

We’d all gathered in

my brother’s bedroom.

His breathing

was shallow.

Finally,

he took a deep, fresh breath

but instead of breathing out,

his spirit left through

an open window.

So, I didn’t get the miracle

I’d prayed for.

Instead, I’ve learned to embrace

the hundreds of everyday life

blessings since.

I honor my brother

by living my life

as if it were a miracle.

~

“There are two ways to find God, one is to find your faith—and the other is to lose it.” 

~ Joshua Scott Onysko

~

Relephant read:

6 Lessons I Learned from Losing My Brother to Cancer.

~

Author: Ashleigh Hitchcock

Photo: flickr