Just 4 words

Today Camp Dangie went to the Audobon Zoo. It was a great day. Daniel and I had lots of fun despite the heat and the fact that my feet were killing me. It was our 1st official field trip! Seeing the monkeys is usually the highlight of my trip oh and the Roman Candy. However, that was not the case today. The highlight of my trip happened before we even got to the zoo. Now, my brother and I have a really good relationship, especially since he is over here almost everyday. But, he is turning into a young man and is hitting those teen years. You remember what it was like..we all wanted to be "cool," which I am sure he does. But there is something about my little or not so little brother that I adore. It is his heart.

On the way to the zoo we were both pretty quiet, just listening to some worship music and trying to get used to being out at 9 in the morning. We were silent for about 15 minutes and out of nowhere Daniel says: "I love you Angie." Wow! Now that may not seem like much, but for a boy who is about to be 13 to just come out for no reason and lay that out there I think is pretty cool. It was also in the way that he said it. I could tell it was so heartfelt and he didn't say it in his usual goofy way. I had to open my eyes really wide and swallow hard as to hold back the tears. I managed to get out an "I love you too Daniel."Nothing else was said for a while. I just lived in that brief moment for a good 10 minutes.

I know that he doesn't realize what that meant to me...but it meant the world. I know that he loves me...but to hear it so pure and heartfelt just hits you in the chest...in a good way. My prayer is that this summer will really be a time that we can get close and I can pour into his life. I pray that I will be a Godly role model for him and that he will yearn to know God because of the ways that God uses me. I pray that my interactions with him bring him closer to the Savior. If it comes to mind, I would appreciate you lifting him up in prayer also. It would mean so much to me and even though he doesn't realize it, it would mean the world to him also.

So even though I saw the monkeys today and they made me laugh as they always do, they didn't even come close to the joy that I felt from 4 simple words from the mouth of my "little" brother.