Big Sister Mode

I used that term one time during a conversation and I got funny looks for it. Obviously, the person I was talking to was NOT a big sister.  However, the phrase could use some explanation I suppose.

Big Sister mode is when God gives Big Sisters an essential extra supply of grace just when they need it. 

Big Sister Mode is when your parents think your mom just had a miscarriage and is going to the hospital and you keep it to yourself so as not to upset your siblings.

Big Sister Mode is when your little brother has a life threatening seizure and you are bawling your eyes out but then your parents leave in the ambulance and you instantly collect yourself.

Big Sister Mode is when your younger sister almost drowns in a lake and you don’t scream or cry.

Big Sister Mode is when you find yourself in scary situations but know that you are the oldest and if you panic then so will your younger siblings.  It’s when you put your emotions aside to deal with the emotions of others. It’s when you stop seeking someone to comfort you and you start to comfort others. You don’t have to be the oldest sister to have it; you simply have to be an older sister. (I suppose you could have big brother mode, but I’m not a brother so I’m not sure. 🙂 ) A friend of mine calls it survival mode.

I’ve thought a lot about those situations since that conversation. Why do I respond that way? I don’t think about it during those moments. I never THINK about going into Big Sister Mode. It just happens.

The more I think about it, the more I realize: it really is just by God’s grace. He provides strength at those times when it is most needed and mine is gone.  He gives hope to me so I can share it. He comforts me so I can comfort others.

It reminds me of these verses.

Isaiah 40:29-31

29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

 

How Very Blessed

Sometimes, I don’t feel blessed. I can hear your gasp and see your shocked face…but it’s true. Sometimes, I feel like my life is awful and I just don’t want any more uncertainty and I want to go home. There are days when I just want to lay in bed and cry all day. Days when the problems of my friends get me down and inject stress into my life. Days when I long just to have my baby brother tell me he loves me and to feel his arms around my neck. Days when I don’t feel blessed.

Now, I realize of course that I am blessed. I have a wonderful family and I have a baby brother TO miss. I don’t have many of the fears and problems of my friends. I have a home to visit. I have tons of people who sincerely care for me. I have plenty of food and a warm place to live. I am blessed.

But, you know what? That isn’t enough. History would tell of millions of people who had all that and more but who weren’t happy or content. They were missing the greatest blessing of them all. The blessing of salvation.

But I have that. I have the assurance of things hoped for and I know the evidence of things not seen. I know my name is written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life and that his hand of grace and mercy is upon me in salvation. I know that the struggles of this life are merely a shadow and that the glory of eternity is mine. I know that my Lord is faithful and just to forgive my sins and that he remembers them no more. I know that my God reigns forever and that he listens when I call to him.

Sometimes, I don’t feel blessed. And sometimes, I just need to be reminded of how very blessed I really am.

 

 

 

What Brothers Need

My biggest fear about living so  from home was that my siblings wouldn’t know me. That they would know about me but not who I am.  I wanted to be actively involved in their lives, not a spectator.  Especially with David.  I had read a lot about how a sister can impact her brothers and I wanted to spur David towards Christ.  I loved letting him know he needed to protect me and save me from bad guys.  I loved when he would put his arms around me and tell me I was his baby.  I loved when he would hold the door open for me. And I loved encouraging him to be a godly man for Christ.

In our Sunday School class here we have been talking about what it means to be a true woman of God.  One of the lessons hit me.  We talked about how we can encourage all young men in our lives toward godliness.  We should so reflect Christ that they are encouraged to be godly men.  Our meek and quiet spirit can spur them to be the biblical leaders the world needs.

I also just read a chapter in a book about that!  (Amazing, how God works!)  It was about demonstrating respect towards our brothers and also being interested in their interests.  The book talks about how girls always complain about the lack of godly young men but at the same time they are tearing down the manliness of their brothers.

All this hit me because I felt I couldn’t do that.  I live five hours from my brother. It never occurred to me that it could be done anyway, in the way I treat him when I call and skype.  Do I listen to him, even though I can’t understand a word he says over the phone?  I’ve made it a habit to encourage him every time I talk to him.  Usually this comes in the form of my telling him he’s my hero.  David loves super heroes- Spiderman, Superman, Batman.  He’s knows they save people and he runs around in his super hero costumes all the time. I want him to know that I admire his bravery- against imaginary villains, snakes, and Caroline-monsters.  (Okay, I might have to rethink that predicament.)

I’ve also realized that I need to be doing this with my sisters.  I need to encourage them to live as godly young ladies.  Also, I want to encourage them to see David as a young man and not an annoying little brother.

I’m learning to be more encouraging with everyone I know, especially my family.

 

Five Things: David

Five Things I love about my little brother David!

1. How he can be so sweet one minute and very sneaky the next.

2. He says I’m his baby.

3. He takes care of his sisters, but especially Bethany. If he gets a special snack, he always makes sure she gets one too.

4. His sneaky, dimpled smile.

5. He loves music. We have a video of when he was 2 and he is directing the William Tell Overture perfectly on beat. He pretty much taught himself to read by listening to an alphabet song.

 

Five Things: Bethany

Five Things I love about my little sister Bethany!

1. Her sweet personality!

2. How she calls a brain-freeze a freeze-brain.

3. She LOVES babies!

4. She tells me all the time how much she will miss me when I go to camp this summer.

5. She has never met a stranger. EVER.

 

Five Things: Caroline

Five things I love about my little sister Caroline!

1.  Her beautiful voice.

2. Her matching problems. Hehehe…

3. The way we are always thinking the exact same thing and often finish each other’s sentences or say things at the same time.

4. When she says that all our lives would be so boring without her. Ha.

5. When she tries to do a cool karate move and ends up hurting herself- and then laughs at herself.

(6. And, she is making brownies right now.)

 

Five Things: Mike

Five things I love about my older brother Mike:

1. He volunteered to go to Iraq so that a married man could stay here.

2. He is awful at playing the Wii, so it’s hilarious to watch him play it!

3. The way his face looks when he knows I have him logically trapped in an argument.

4. The way his hair is falling out. Hehehe…

5. He says he will beat up anyone who messes with his sisters.

 

Five Things: Mommy

Five things I love about my mom:

1. Her commitment to loving my dad and all of us.

2. How every project she works on turns out perfect.

3. Her enthusiasm for homeschool.

4. How she manages to bring every conversation back to the Bible.

5. How she says, “You know, my name is not  ‘HEYMOM!'”

 

5 Things: Daddy

Five things I love about my Dad:

1.  He is the spiritual leader of our home.

2. He demonstrates Christ’s love for us through his love for my mom.

3. He knows everything about history.

4. He loves kids, even though most are afraid of him 🙂

5. He works hard to provide for his family.

 

5 Things Posts

Over the next few days, or so, I’m going to be doing a series of posts that I’m calling 5 Things. Each post will list 5 things that I love about one of my family members.  It’s so easy to focus on the negative things that we see in those we live with and to never realize the things we really love about them.  I think it’s important to remember that we are all sinners and to only look at another’s sins is arrogance.  We all need Christ’s saving grace.

Hopefully, the first one will be up tomorrow.