My Brother Jim

Hello Everyone
      I haven't posted in a few weeks, as my brother has been in critical care for almost a month. He was back and forth between critical care and a regular room. At one point he had been in 8-10 different rooms...one of them twice. But now I'm sad and happy to write that he was born to Eternal Life this past Sunday at just before 12noon.
      He was a wonderful man, a gentle man, an intelligent man, an opinionated man and above all else a firm believer in Jesus Christ.

     He has steadily gone "down hill" since a year ago May when he had a stroke at the visitation of our father's funeral. He had a bad heart, congestive heart failure, diabetes, only one kidney that was failing, and a tumor that was believed to be cancer in his lunges (as well as several spots in some bone x-rays.) Oh, and he was on oxygen while he still struggled to breath. My 86 year old mother has been taking care of him during the day since his last stroke, taking him to and from doctor appointments and seeing that he had something to eat since he had trouble doing it himself.

     We realized he was not going to get better, and knew in time he would not be with us, but it came as a total shock this past Sunday morning. The night before, I had the pleasure of seeing him at the evening visitation... Several of his friends came and I let them go in first. I finally got to go in with about 10 minutes to spare... I got him ice to suck on, and we talked a little thru his oxygen mask. When it was time to leave, I kissed him on the forehead and told him I loved him and he told me he loved me....... my husband  (Tom )thought he would be funny and told my brother that he wouldn't kiss him, but shake his hand...And my brother suddenly turned to my husband and made the biggest kissing sound thru his mask in Tom's direction... Well that caught us both by surprise and all three of us laughed. You could see the twinkle in my brothers eyes! He still had his sense of humor even after 25 days of lying on his back, weak and in pain. He told me to tell his wife (who had left early to get some rest) That he loved her. We left in good humor, looking forward to seeing him the next day.

None of us would have ever believed that by the next day before noon that he would be gone from us.
    Today we buried my brother, but even though I grieve, I am joyous of the many godly friends he had who all came to show their respects. He would so have enjoyed to see how much he was loved and to shake their hands once more or prayer for them. But--- I know he is healed now and is in Jesus' arms. I also know I will see him again.
    Thank you all ( and you know who you are ) who prayed for him, me and our families. I will never be able to express my sincere gratitude for all your well wishes and praying to our Lord on our behalf.
God Bless  you all
Dianne