A Brother is Born for a Time of Adversity.

February 28, 2024

My wife and I, along with whichever daughter wasn’t participating, would travel to band competitions on Saturdays to watch the daughter or daughters who were participating. Sometimes we helped with the pit crew or setting up props. My wife served as uniform mom for several years. Those Saturdays were long days. Even on short trips, we often began early and got home late.

Sometimes you sat in the hot sun and sometimes you hunkered under an umbrella. But it didn’t really matter what the weather was doing, we were there in support of our family in an activity one or more of us enjoyed doing. Today’s photo is a picture of my wife and one of our daughters watching two of our daughters perform.

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The bleachers were as uncomfortable as you might imagine. We took our cushions to give both our backs and our bottoms some relief for what would be hours of sitting. Sitting beside us was a small cooler with snacks for the day. I remember doing that because I was following Weight Watchers at the time and my snacks weren’t to be found in the concession stand.

Why would someone do all of these things weekend after weekend?

My wife and I sometimes wonder how in the world we had time for our jobs, getting the girls to practices, dealing with all those band uniforms (that did not like to be wet), spending every weekend traveling for competitions, then church on Sunday. I’m sure many of you reading this post have wondered the same things.

We attribute being able to do all of that because in the season it was needed, God gave us the time, strength, ability, and desire to be there. It would be much harder to do that today.

We also were able to do those things because of the love we have for our children. It makes perfect sense that parents will do whatever they can to encourage and support their kids. That not only applies to us as parents, but the sisters did the same thing. They love one another and out of that love, go the extra mile to support one another.

King Solomon penned the words to Proverbs 17 almost 3,000 years ago. The wisdom God bestowed upon Solomon allowed him to share with us many things we need to hear today. He wrote Proverbs partly so that, today, we would have instruction, wisdom, and understanding. Here’s one of the things Solomon says about love.

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” (Proverbs 17:17, NIV)

I believe we would all agree that friends are important. It is so satisfying to have friends who are there with us during the good times and the bad. Kind Solomon is telling us that a true friend loves all the time. Oftentimes that love comes when we need it most—during a time of adversity.

Sometimes the friend we need is family. Sometimes we just need a friend. I love the way Solomon puts it, “A brother is born for a time of adversity.” During difficult times is the best time for a family member or a friend to be by our side.

Believe me, on those cold, wet Saturdays when you’ve been up early, and you’re wearing that hot, heavy band uniform, trying to perform your best for your school, it was good to be able to sneak a peek up in the bleachers and see your sister cheering you on.

I pray each of us has family or friends to be there for us at all times, and that we can be that family or friend for someone else, especially during a time of adversity.