The Brewers | Sovhope Spotlight Blog

“Cousins by chance – friends by choice.” – Darlene Shaw.

That’s right. You know I’m pulling out all the stops for this one when I take the time to look up a quote. I really liked this one, almost as much as I liked the one by Britney Spears:

“I always call my cousin because we're so close. We're almost like sisters, and we're also close because our moms are sisters.”

What a revelation. Anyways, while I like the quote by Darlene Shaw, I don’t agree with it. I don’t believe that the family God has put in my life was by chance; I believe He did so with an intentional purpose. Jesse and I are really close. So close, that if you are around us long enough then Jesse will make your ears bleed with the sound of laughter and we will start talking in a language you can’t understand, full of inside jokes and movie quotes. It’s by God’s grace and provision we didn’t drift apart or get into a teenage hormonal fueled argument that obliterated our relationship.

Because of our closeness, there is nothing more important to me than knowing that my best friend is being taken care of by the best person on the planet for him, and I am very thankful that God was just as intentional in that area by bringing Courtlynd into his life. It’s not often that your best friend picks a companion that slips right into the family mold as if she had been apart of it all along. Was I little skeptical at first? Sure. When you’ve had a good thing going for so long, you don’t want it to get ruined. But I’ll let you guys in on a little secret, what I found out is that Courtlynd is actually cooler than Jesse. The reason Jesse is who he is now, is because of Courtlynd. That cool haircut, those cool clothes, and that cool sense of style all come from Courtlynd. Now, has Jesse made it his own and taken the reigns on all of that? Maybe. Who can say for sure? But let me tell you, before Courtlynd there was no listening to the Indie music and wearing the skinny jeans and putting product in the hair. If it weren’t for her, Jesse would still be wearing a ratty hat turned backwards on top of a 90’s hair cut disaster with a pair of frayed denim shorts. Sorry Jess, but we’re men and we can both admit it’s true. All of that is to prove my point; God has been very intentional in our lives and who He has put in them, and I am forever thankful for it.

Everyone knows Jesse and Courtlynd as the medical duo of our church; the people we call to say “Hey this thing on my body looks weird, what is it?” Usually they just hang up, but every now and then they might save your life. But sometimes, saving lives can be hard and especially tiring. However, it just so happens they both have new, exciting circumstances in their jobs that they are looking forward to! At Piedmont Fayette, where Courtlynd works, they just finished building a new floor that would solve 90% of patient complaints (as well as employee). It’s suppose to be quieter, calmer, have private rooms as opposed to those Kleenex thin curtains they hang between two sick people, Greek style columns, and a babbling brook that flows into a glorious waterfall. Well, maybe not those last three things, but it will most certainly feel that way to the stressed out nurses who have the esteemed honor of working up there. Unfortunately, Courtlynd has seen little of the Promised Land. She tasted the sweet milk and honey of the 5th floor, and then was forced back down below to eat manna. Hopefully, just as time moves on, so will Courtlynd into the glories of the 5th floor.

Speaking of moving on, that brings me to Jesse. Jesse has been an EMT for almost six years, and he’s finally had enough of it. He has been taking classes towards entering into the nursing program, and he is doing really well, recently getting all A’s. He’s recognized some of the benefits of school, such as how it’s made him more productive by setting priorities and goals, but he knows that the nursing program is still some distance away. So, in the mean time, he recently interviewed at Piedmont Newnan for an E.R. Tech position and got the job! It will be similar to what he was doing as an EMT, but he will be in the hospital his whole shift, which will change from his usual 24 hours to 12 hours. This position will allow him to be at home more, and create his own schedule. What this means is that he will now work the hours of a normal person and stop asking you to hang out right slap in the middle of the week. This also means that if you were a fan of the Brewers before, then get excited because you will see them on Sunday’s more often now as they will both be scheduling that as one of their regular off days.

It’s time! The sun is out. The garden beds are clean, and packed with beans, spinach, peas, and lettuce. The canoe is clean, and packed with fishing poles, tackle bags, oars, and Judah. The Brewers are the type of family that hobbies hard. No other family do I know that is as committed to doing what they love doing consistently and constantly. Having hobbies is great, but with the Brewers it’s on a whole new level because their heart is revealed through them. Courtlynd tends to her garden faithfully, not just for them, but so that she can give a lot of it away and serve other families. If that isn’t a faithful steward of a hobby, then I don’t know what is! And Jesse is always inviting people to go fishing with him. He takes the time to put his boat on his car and drive you around, just so that you can go fishing and spend time together. In fact, he just took a bunch of guys on a river trip this week! They both model incredible servant hearts through their hobbies, allowing people to come along side of, and enjoy it with them. I have eaten many vegetables from Courtlynd’s garden, and I have caught many fish in Jesse’s canoe. I get to enjoy life just as much as they do, but without all the work and maintenance. The beautiful thing is that it isn’t because I am family and get special treatment, it’s because they enjoy serving others through their hobbies.

Judah is a great dog. He’s also a big dog. He’s the kind of dog that makes me say, “I wish I was like Jesse, so that I could have a dog like Judah, and have the ability to train him the way Jesse has”, and I never say I wish I was like Jesse. But seriously, he has trained Judah so well that he will even take my commands. Now, it’s important to remember that Judah just turned one, so there is plenty more for him to learn. But with any 1 year old, even dogs, patience and the commitment to continue teaching and instructing is key. That is something that Jesse and Courtlynd have had to learn, and grow in together, through this process. They love having Judah as addition to their family, and I would say you can tell the time and care they take in training him by how far he’s come from being a puppy, even if he does get mouthy sometimes.

I’m sorry you guys. I just really lucked out in the family department. And I’m not just biased; I’ve met your families. But the good news is that you all get to enjoy them as part of your church family! As I said before, I don’t think it’s by chance that God has placed the family I have in my life by accident, and I think the same goes for you all as well. God has not accidentally placed the Brewers to be apart of your church family, and I’m sure you are just as thankfully for them as I am. Who else is going to tell you what that weird thing is on your body?