Sisters

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

I have two kinds of sisters. Two that I was born with, and many more that have become my “Sisters” over the years. First….. The ones we are born with.

We fought. ALL. THE. TIME.        

We pretty much survived – each other, our family situation, whatever “lemons” were tossed at us. In the case of my younger sister, it created a bond I would be lost without. No matter what conflict we have, we survive it and move forward, our bond stronger than before. My older sister? Not so much, but that’s an entirely different book, written by a famous psychologist, I’m sure.

My younger sister is this amazing woman. Like me, she is remarried and has been blessed with more children than she ever thought she was going to get to have. All of her children are different, and all of them have their own gifts. She wrangles this family on a daily basis, with a fierce love that just doesn’t have boundaries. I’ve never known anyone who loves like she does – fiercely, completely, and with no compunction about being completely honest. She is my example of hesed. This Hebrew word has a few meanings; lovingkindness, mercy, goodness, reproach(Strong’s H2617). It is the love God has for us, like a “sticky attachment.” This is the kind of love that doesn’t come unglued when times are tough. It keeps us attached so that we can grow in and with each other, balancing the equation.

Who is your example of hesed?

I mentioned “Sisters”, also – they come in many forms, and show up at different times in your life. Some of them are those women that you’ve known forever, who know your WHOLE story and love you because of it. Some of them show up in the middle of the story, and bring their own with them.

There is a group of women that are critical for me. They are “The Sisterhood.” We all come from the same small town, went to the same high school, and love each other without question. Two of them met (I think) in Kindergarten, two of us met in 5th grade on my first day at a new school, some of us met in sixth grade, one of us showed up her Senior (our Junior) year in high school and just became part of us. However we met or became friends, for some reason our hearts just found each other and to this day we remain Sisters. Funny thing about having friends like this when you are young – it enables you to have friends like this as an adult! As we grow and become our adult selves, we can add those Sisters into our lives that come along when God knows we need them. College roommates, other young mothers, coworkers – He sends them.

My hope for you is that you will recognize them and they will recognize you, and that you will build these lasting bonds. Heck, some of them even have daughters and sons who become those connections for your children!

Who are the “Sisters” in your life? What keeps you connected?