My Sister, My Hero

I have a favorite picture from my childhood. It is yellowed and worn, yet, it is displayed in a strategic place in my home. It is a picture of my sister, Laura, and I. At the time the picture was taken I am about three years old and Laura is approximately the age of six. We are in the pasture on the east side of our barn. Our small flock of domestic ducks are all around us.

This photo is precious to me for a couple of reasons. One is that it depicts a glimpse of our family farm in the early days. My parents purchased the eighty acre property in 1962 and it needed a lot of work. The house was built in 1890. A portion of the original foundation was large boulders and wooden hand hewn beams. My mother often told the story of relatives asking her how she could give up her nice, new home in town for “that place” in the country. What they did not realize was that my parents were following a dream.

The other reason I cherish this photo is because it is of Laura and me. I am the youngest of seven children. My sister, Laura is next in line to me. All of my life she was my playmate, my companion… and my hero. Laura has the personality that everybody likes. She is out going, friendly and never meets a stranger. In high school she was a cheerleader and a homecoming queen candidate. She always had a steady boyfriend in high school; yet, Laura was so popular that the other guys gave her the nickname, “Andy.” On the farm Laura was my dad’s “other boy.” She could do the work that any man could do. I remember watching her unload a wagon of alfalfa hay bales. She could drive the tractor and cultivate the fields just as well as my dad and my brother.

As the “baby sister” I tried my hardest to be like Laura. I went out for cheerleading and made it because I was “Andy’s little sister.” But as time went on people realized I was not my sister. Verbal communication was not my strong point. Consequently, I bumbled most of my sentences and came across to people as a little nutty. I never had a date for the prom and didn’t have a steady boyfriend. I most certainly did not become a homecoming queen candidate. Never the less my sister and my friend was always there for me. Before I got my drivers license. I rode along with her and her boyfriend to almost every sporting or school event. When I was old enough to drive she still kept tabs on me, making sure I stayed out of trouble. There was a time in my life when I suffered from depression. My family was on a vacation in Yellowstone National Park. But, I was so depressed that I did not want to do anything but sleep. Sleep was an escape for me. I distinctly remember one day in particular of that vacation. I was not getting up and the family was waiting on me to go visit the attractions we had driven hundreds of miles to see. Laura took me by the shoulders and pinned me up against the side of the camper. With tears streaming down her face and a really strong voice she said, “Stop it!” We stood there and cried together for a moment and then went about the day.

The depression continued for some time after that but what my sister did that day got through to me. Despite my despair it occurred to me that she loved me. She loved me for who I was. She had never expected me to be like her. She just wanted me to have the best life I could have. For that I will never be able to express my gratitude.

“…there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24

I don’t know what you may be facing today, my friends. Some of you may feel isolated and alone. The enemy loves to try to convince us that no one else has faced what we are facing. His desire is to cause you to feel worthless and unloved. Remember what John 8:44 says, “The devil is a liar and the father of lies.”

There is no one like you and that is a good thing! You are gifted. God has a plan for your life! It is unique and perfect for you and for you only. Jesus is not just some motivational speaker that lived two thousand years ago. He existed before the world was ever formed, (John 1:1) He is still alive today. The best news of all is He loves you for who you are because He made you. I encourage you to spend time in His presence today. Quit trying to live your life in your own strength and in your own understanding. Stop comparing yourself to everyone else. Be the person Jesus sees in you. His presence is found in His Word and in His presence you will find indescribable love, peace, and purpose.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart…” Jeremiah 1:5