
I have one big brother; and he is all brother. When we were kiddos, his love language was messing with me. I believed his Every. Single. Word. Stuff, like-
At the age of 12, Iâd be sent to live on an Indian Reservation to make bead necklaces for the rest of my life–because I was a girl.
AndâŚ
Dr. Pepper was called âDr. Pepperâ because you were supposed to pour red crushed peppers in before you drank up.
Iâm relieved my parents forgot to send me away, and eventually, I traded sucking red crushed peppers through stubborn straws for my beloved non-fat, with-whip, mochas.
My whole life Iâve had the ‘fun’ of knowing what it means to have a brother…but not a sister. Last week my daughter received a letter with the precious words crayoned,
âCiana, you can call me Sisterâ.
I read it over and over, and all the feel-goods sprinkled over my spirit. My cousinâs daughter had written them. Sheâs adopted from Uganda and understands more than most, love makes a family. And God is that love. We enter a loving relationship with God; strike down genetic laws; and become sisters with other believers. But it doesnât always feel that way.
If someone at church referred to me as âsisterââŚI figured theyâd forgotten my name. Honestly, there are times when hearing it from random ladies makes me roll all my eyes. Why can it feel so patronizing? When itâs stripped down: we may be sisters in Godâs family, but we often struggle to treat one another that way. It’s not on purpose! We’re busy. We’re tired. We’re overwhelmed keeping precious little humans alive and forget to really pray when we say we will.
When someone in a family struggles, it affects the whole household. If something is lost, all grubby fingers dig under the couch cushions to find it. If one kiddo hurls their body into the mini-van late, all the kiddos run like hyenas to get to class on time. If youâre in a healthy family, your lives are intertwined. But if you donât live under the same roof, this gets tough. I think of the letters between Ciana and Milla. At such a young age, they’re making an effort to keep their lives intertwined. And thatâs the keyâŚthey’re intentional.
True sisterhood speaks these words:
When you struggle, my spirit will wrestle in prayer for you.
When youâre lost in an area of life, Iâll search Godâs word for answers with you.
When you feel youâll never make it to the finish line, Iâll carry your heavy diaper bag.
But how can we authenticate our spoken words of sisterhood when life is so….much?
Here are three things Iâve found to be practical, powerful & completely do-able:
1. Fast together.
When a friend lays out a deep concern over coffee, I offer to fast with them for a week over the issue. Fasting doesnât have to be dramatic. It can simply mean going without something you enjoy and replacing it with specific prayer. I typically choose to stop eating sugar. The struggle is so for real. Every time I’m all cravy, I stop right there and pray for whatever unique trial my friend is dealing with.
2. Pray at the same time everyday together.
Most likely, you donât see your friend every day. So set an alarm on your phone to remind you both to stop what youâre doing and pray. I had a friend who was struggling with her husband when he came home from work. We set our phones to alert us to pray thirty minutes before he got home. When we were done praying, we would simply text, âAmen,â to each other.
3. Dedicate a prayer journal to your friend.
I love to do this! I buy thin journal packs at TJ Maxx or HomeGoods, sharpie a friend’s name on the cover, and fill it up with prayers over their life. Some fill up faster than others and I donât do it every day. Sometimes Iâll take a quick picture of the cover and text it to my friend saying, âYou were just covered in prayer.â I imagine when I go home to Jesus; my children will find them and deliver them to my living friends.
Iâm praying these practical tips spur your relationships to a deeper level. Itâs not easy when youâre in the jungle of âAdultingâ. But thatâs why itâs so important, isnât it? We all need to know someone is genuinely in the thick with us. We all want someone to take the time to say, “Friend, you can call me Sister.”
âCarry each otherâs burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.â (Galatians 6:2)