One of my babies is lost to me for now. Today my brother, my Joshie died. No longer will I hear his great laugh. Will I see his amazing smile. Will I look into his smiling eyes. No longer will I share in life with him. He was barely a man and yet he already left such a amazing and rich legacy. Like a shadow in late afternoon his shadow was long, it fell on and touched so many.
My brother was amazing. I am and was so proud of him. He lived his life to bring beauty to God and to others. Whether it was in his love of music , or in his love of singing. He brought beauty in his love of dance. His love of photography and sharing the beauty of nature as he saw it. His love of plants and growing them. He loved sharing about God and what He was doing in his life. He was exuberant and stubborn. He was growing to be daring and confident. He would take time to listen and gain wisdom from those around him. He was unashamed and unabashed in his love for his Savior.
He wasn't afraid to show you what he was feeling. To show you the depth of his emotions. He truly loved and cared for people. You felt that and knew it. He took all our teasing so well, well most of the time. And tease him we did. At times because he made himself such a easy target. When Josh was fascinated with something he would find books about whatever it was and study them. Learning all he possibly could. If you asked him he would share all that knowledge with you. Sometimes even when you didn't ask him. My brother was so gifted in so many different ways. It's hard to distill that. It's hard to make a snap-shoot of the amazing picture of who he was. I feel sad for all who won't be able to know him. I feel sad for all of us who did know him. Because all of us who knew him grieve, not because God elected to take Josh to be with Him. But because we will no longer have Josh with us.
