The Blessing of Sisterhood PART II - Dinner #90

THE BLESSING OF SISTERHOOD

Part II

“All girls?!”  I have heard it all my life.  The truth is, I went from having only sisters, to now having only daughters!  Four daughters, to be exact.  They are our beautiful little “stair steps”, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.  I daily find myself in a world of pink and purple, dolls and dress-up, hair accessories and tiaras.  But it’s what I’m used to.  It’s all I’ve ever known.  God has surrounded me with female relationships, and in so doing, He has given me a rare perspective on the beauty and the blessing of SISTERHOOD. 

You see, the blessing of biological sisterhood is very special.  The blessing of Christian sisterhood is sacred.  We’re adopted into God’s family.  We’ve been bought with a price.  Our hearts are knit together by a common salvation.  And we each have a special purpose in the body of Christ. 

Romans 12:4-6 “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us . . .”

I Corinthians 12:4-6 “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.  And there are differences of administration, but the same Lord.  And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.”

My girls are quite close together in age, but each one has a personality entirely her own.  God intends for it to be that way!  The same is true in the body of Christ. 

I Corinthians 12:17-18, 20-21 “If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?  But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him . . . But now are they many members, yet but one body.  And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.”

It is so easy for us to look at each other and compare. To complain when other members of the church don’t appear to be doing as much work as we are.  But perhaps Sister-So-And-So doesn’t possess the gift of service, as you do.  Perhaps she won’t be the lady overseeing nursery Sunday after Sunday.  She has been given the gift of exhortation and is writing encouraging letters.  Or she has been given the gift of prayer and is interceding on the behalf of every person in the church directory.  Who are we to judge and say, “You aren’t doing your part” . . .  “I have no need of thee”?

Do sisters sometimes squabble? Certainly!  But God desires that, as His daughters, we seek to be at peace with one another!

I Peter 3:8-9 “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that she should inherit a blessing.”

Colossians 3:13-17 “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” 

The Scriptures call for UNITY among the brethren.  How much could our loving Heavenly Father accomplish in this world, if His girls would only WORK TOGETHER?!

Philippians 1:27 “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”

Philippians 2:1,2 “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”

“She hit me!” . . . “She won’t share!” . . . Perhaps our disagreements don’t sound so childish as grown women, but we are prone to aggravate and annoy one another, nonetheless.  This is true, even in God’s family! 

 “The decorations for the Ladies’ Fellowship are horrendous!” . . . “Did you see how short her skirt was on Wednesday night?!” . . . “She doesn’t immunize her children!” . . . “Why am I the only one baking cookies for Vacation Bible School?!”

Romans 12:18 “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”

Philippians 2:3,4 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

Caring about one another.  Praying for each other.  Rejoicing with those who are rejoicing, and weeping with those who are weeping.  (Rom. 12:15) 

I Thessalonians 5:11 “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”

Hebrews 3:13 “But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today. . .”

Why? Why put forth the effort to “get along”?  Because we are the body of Christ! 

I Corinthians 12:25-27 “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.  And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.  Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.”

The word “schism” in that verse means “a rent, as in a garment, a division”.  Imagine a beautiful wedding gown - the beads, the embroidery, the sparkles - but when you lift it out of the box, you find there is a giant rip right down the front.  It’s enough to bring any young bride to tears.  May the Lord help us as we seek to “hold the stitching together” . . . As we seek to live in harmony, doing our God-given part in the body of Christ. 

There is something so beautiful about watching my little girls ENJOYING spending time together.  Whenever I happen upon those scenes where the four of them are engaged in some fabulous imaginative play, or where two are snuggled together on the couch reading a book together, I immediately feel the need to grab my camera. Such moments never seem to happen often enough!  How much more must God feel that way about us?  How must HE smile, when He watches His daughters greeting each other pleasantly in church, painting the backdrop for Vacation Bible School without complaining, kneeling in prayer together . . .

Psalm 133:1 tells us, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

I encourage you to do those things that tend toward UNITY with your sisters in Christ, this week! 

The Blessing of Sisterhood PART I - Dinner #89

THE BLESSING OF SISTERHOOD

PART I

Ironed uniforms.  Taps at sunset.  The ear-splitting sound of jets taking off.  Airshows.  Commissaries.  And moving boxes. 

We lived in 8 different houses through the course of my military childhood.  My parents treated each new duty station as an adventure.  Across state lines, the scenery, the brand names, and the accents changed, but my immediate family stayed the same.  We were quite close, my two younger sisters and I.  People often referred to us as “The Guthrie Girls”.  As sisters, we were not only family, but friends and classmates, too.  Homeschooling brought a sense of stability to our constantly changing lives, and we loved it. 

My sister Jessica is nearly 3 years younger than myself.  Being the middle child, my mom used to refer to her as the “Oreo filling.” She was the peacemaker in the bunch.  She was enamored with horses and cowgirls, and could definitely look the part.  Her outstanding feature was her long blonde hair.  Until the time she went off to college, it only saw healthy trimmings.  I had thick bangs and waves that went every which way.  Jess’ hair curled up and frizzed up in humidity, and tangled horribly in water and wind, but she resembled a Medieval princess with a long rippling sheet of blonde down her back when her hair wasn’t braided.  Jessica was lovely.  She’s still gorgeous, by the way.  But, most important of all, she was sweet.  She prayed beautifully.  She read Scripture beautifully.  She often played the role of peacemaker.  And she was nearly always willing to participate in whatever playtime idea her bossy big sister concocted next.  All in all, she was pretty amazing.  Whether it be Barbie “Olympics” or “orphan trains”, elaborate dress-up story lines or Disney karaoke, Lincoln logs or toy soldiers, Jess was my closest friend. 

Ashley was the baby in the family.  She’s in her late 20s now, but forever an adorable curly-headed preschooler in my mind.  Some of my earliest recollections of our homeschooling days include her sitting at the dining room table with us, coloring or playing with the Math-U-See blocks while we did our school papers.  She was learning about “Leif Erikson” and “Erik the Red” right along with us, and for a period of a year or two she had “Luke Skywalker” for an imaginary friend.  She was a little firecracker and consequently the one who got annoyed and pestered the most by her sisters.  Quite special to me is the fact that our sisterly relationship grew stronger in the years after I got married.  Ashley was the member of my family who visited the most often.  She came to help me after every baby was born.  She was the one who took the beautiful newborn photos, the one who helped get lunch on the table amid the toddler wails, the one who sat on the couch and had long talks while I waited for my husband to arrive home from selling cars.  She jumped wholeheartedly into her role of “Auntie”, sending cards for every birthday and holiday, and buying presents to go with every birthday theme her nieces and their mother came up with. She’s a pretty strong and fabulous young woman, and I love her dearly! 

Jessica and Ashley are my biological sisters.  We memorized AWANA verses together, tent camped together, canoed through alligator-infested waters together, survived eating Mom’s “mush-mush-crumble” together . . . We’ve made hundreds and even thousands of memories, while walking hand-in-hand.  Sisters.  There’s no other bond quite like it on earth. 

But it doesn’t stop there.  Our loving Creator has taken a relationship so special and precious – the bond of SISTERHOOD – and has allowed that concept to spill over into the spiritual realm as well.  How tremendously beautiful that we can also have Sisters in Christ!  We can be members together of GOD’S family!

No two ladies are exactly alike.  God has created us with unique personalities, weaknesses, strengths . . . If we are His children, then He has given us certain spiritual gifts as well.  We may be as different from each other as night and day, and yet, God in His infinite wisdom has woven us together in a beautiful tapestry of grace; members of one body - the body of Christ.        

I Corinthians 12:12, 14 “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ . . . For the body is not one member, but many.”

How is this possible? Because when we place our trust in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, we are adopted into God’s family! 

Galatians 4:4-7 “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.  Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”

No matter the race, the nationality, the background . . .

Colossians 3:11 “Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.”

Are you a believer in Christ?  Have you been adopted into God’s family? Then you, Dear Lady, have sisters! – Beloved sisters in Christ!  Do you realize how very special that is?!  There are women and girls from every country around the globe united by the redemption that can only be found in the Lord Jesus.  Do biological sisters, by nature, love each other?  How much more should sisters in Christ love one another!

I John 4:11,12 “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. . . If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.”

Romans 12:10 “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love . . .”

I pray that as you finish reading Part I of this devotional, you’ll thank God for the beautiful blessing of SISTERHOOD. 

Hebrews 13:1 “Let brotherly love continue.”