About two months ago, we got a phone call from Andy, my husband’s youngest brother. His daughter Emily was finishing college in Rhode Island, and he planned to across the country to bring her and her stuff back home to upstate Nevada. He would be passing through Ohio and was thinking of stopping off to see their oldest brother Jim. He’d already called Larry and his wife. The couple were going to fly in from Washington state to meet them all. Their brother Allan had been contacted but couldn’t get away from work. Could Ernie and I possibly come down to see them?
Jim, Allan, Ernie, Larry, and Andy. These five men hadn’t been together in over 25 years – and that was for their mom’s funeral. I have a few photos of them – the last pictures taken of the five brothers. All are still living, but after leaving home, the brothers had scattered across the nation. Now there was an opportunity to get 4 of the 5 back together again. Acting on Andy’s call, Ernie and I got Friday March 13 off work and prepared for a weekend trip.
Shortly after we left our jobs on Thursday the 12th, Governor Whitmore mandated all schools in our state of Michigan be closed for three weeks. Like dominoes, states all across the country were shutting down institutes of education. Suddenly, a virus we’d never heard of before was grabbing the headlines and dominating all news stories.
That Friday, we all sat there in a booth at Applebee’s in Columbus Ohio: four brothers, two wives and one daughter. So much had changed over those 25 years: new jobs, new wives, new kids. But so much had also stayed the same: they were still brothers who cared very deeply about each other and were overjoyed to be together finally.
Plans were made that weekend: an October family reunion in Las Vegas, Larry’s hometown. If the missing brother couldn’t make a reunion, they were determined to bring a reunion to him.
Sunday noon, we had one last meal together – the Cheesecake Factory this time – and then it was time to say goodbye.
A few hours after we left, the governor of Ohio had all the restaurants close.
It’s funny how over the years the brothers had tried on numerous occasions to get together and plans had always fallen apart. This one time we were finally able to get 4/5 of the siblings in the same location was hours shy of being another failed attempt.
The question comes up in Christian circles on why God waited so long before sending His Son. Thousands of years after Adam and Eve first sinned, Jesus finally came on the scene.
Why so late?
Because of timing.
God was waiting for the opportunity to reach the largest number of people possible.
Rome had conquered the known world. A common language was used for business and learning.
Major trade routes went through the Megiddo valley, putting Israel at the crossroads of the nations.
Roads had been improved, making travel easier and allowing information to flow freer.
Israel, though ruled by Rome, was allowed to follow the customs and religion of their forefathers.
The “stars had aligned” for the perfect storm called Jesus to come on the scene.
70 years later, the temple was destroyed. Revolts and exile became the norm in the land. Christianity scattered to the four corners of the earth. It was nearly 2000 years before Israel could again call itself a nation.
Timing is everything.
I don’t think the Reunion of the Powers Brothers will have the same impact on world events as Jesus’ birth has had, but for four men, it‘s a milestone day on their timelines.
“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” says Ecclesiastes 3:1
Thank you Lord for making time for four brothers on the weekend of March 13th, 2020.
The Reluctant Firefly 