A Letter to Julie Jones (Oldest Sister)

Note: For those of you who don’t know, I have two older sisters. Julie is 10 years older than me and Jennie is older by 8 years. Both are amazing women to whom I am greatly indebted. Over the last two years, Julie has experienced deep pain from a tumultuous divorce. Along the way she looked to her “little brother” for something, but it was hard to feel like I could remotely come close to helping from afar. Today, her life is working itself out and she seems to be incredibly happy. That’s good news to my ears.

Next week will be a letter to my sister Jennie, but today is Julie’s day.

Doug

Julie,

You don’t need me to tell you this, but I want you to know that I am extremely proud of you. You deserve a huge hug and if I was there I would give you one! You have shown family, friends and foes that you are immensely strong and amazingly resilient. With your dignity in tact, you’ve sent a resounding message that affirms the truth of Romans 8:28. You are testimony to God’s truth in a most beautiful way.

What you’ve experienced in the last couple of years, and your willingness to lean on your “little brother” to the degree you have, has taught us both considerably. I know that my attempts to offer counsel were feeble. More often than not, I had no words, but you had my ear. But amidst it all, I’ve come to understand considerably more about life in general.

When and where do we really find ourselves? I’ve learned, and I think you will agree with me here, that its not so much when things are good, but rather its when faith is about all we’ve got. This begs the question, “Is faith really faith until its tested?”

For years, I’ve understood James 1:2-3 in my mind. It made sense to me. But to understand it in one’s heart, it has to be experienced. You have experienced it. Are you better for it? I think so. Was it easy? Not hardly. Was it worth it to find yourself? It’s a double-edged sword to be sure, but if you didn’t know the real you before you do now! Moreover, and maybe most importantly, you are now capable of ministering to others in a most positive way.

The single most disturbing thing about my time in ministry has not been the difficulties of understanding doctrine. What’s been most alarming has been how many Christians struggle in living out their profession. I believe the difficulties that you and others have experienced are a clarion call for us to wake up. We cannot afford to fiddle while Rome burns. Other women are now experiencing things similar to what you did. They need to hear your story. They need a message of hope. My hope is that you fill that void.

May God bless you in the days to come. May God bless your children and the futures that are before them. May you know what your brother, sister-in-law, nieces and nephew love you and thank you for all that you’ve done for us!