My Brother Riley

Riley holds a special place in my heart as do I in his.  We have been in eachothers lives going on two years now but he is part of my family.  Grandfather figure to my kids but like older brother to Josh and Me.  Or younger brother in Christ you could say lol.  I met Riley at a bbq one of our old neighbors was holding, they dragged Riley out of his apartment and made him be socsial.  At the time he was a new neighbor, he kept to himself and you know we just couldnt have that.  He had just gone completly blind after having deteriating eyesight for many years.  At the BBQ I  just sat by him and listioned to his old stories, he is a very intresting person who has lived a hard life but with many cool stories to tell. When I first met him, I automaticly want to just go up to him and lay hands on him and start to pray for him, but held back that feeling because we just met and didnt want to freak him out.I was also kinda a young Christian too and not as bold as I think I could be now. But ofcourse the conversatin turned to Christ, with me it always seems to. When he said he didn't realy know who he was, that he remebers mostly his church from his childhood talking OT and not NT. WHAT KIND OF CHURCH WAS THAT LOL.  So I told him well If you want some time I will just read you the gospels and you can see for yourself.  Few weeks after that I was reading him John and then Mattew.  It was good for me and him.  I was getting to spend some time with someone during the day and my kids loved him, and he was getting to hear God's Word and decied for himself, with out anyone telling him what to think. Then I took him to a Wednesday service at church and he fell in love with everyone there.  He said he had visited many churches over the years but non like mine, everyone was so loving and caring, you really felt welcomed and like family he said. I was prilaged to be the one to lead him in prayer to recive the Lord. It was one of the most wonderful days of my life to hear him say YES to Jesus, Yes He belived every word read to him, that he belived Jesus died for him, that he could be forgiven, and saved.That he acepted him as his Lord and that he wanted to grow closer to him and follow him. A year later he was baptized, same day as my daughter Annie I may add.   Contined....