I have a little sister.
She used to drive me crazy. She was spoiled. At least, that was my perception as the older sister of four years.
We shared a room for most of our childhood and also shared a full size bed. It wouldn't have been so bad if I wasn't a light sleeper and she hadn't been a thumb-sucker. It made me crazy trying to fall asleep listening to her smack on her thumb.
Sometimes, I had to get up and sleep in another room because of the noises she made and my inability to tolerate it enough to fall asleep.
Then there were the occasions when I'd wake up soaking wet because she peed the bed. I can not tell you how much these things irritated me and made me angry at her.
But there were moments when we enjoyed each other's company. I remember drawing on each other's back as a game we'd play when we were trying to wind down at night to fall asleep. One of us would lay on our stomach and the other would draw with our finger "something" on the other's back and we had to guess what was drawn. A tree? A flower? The sun?
When the imaginary picture was figured out, we'd erase it with our hand like our backs were big chalk boards and start over with a new piece of artwork. That game was relaxing and I'll remember it forever.
I distinctly remember a time when we were at the hay field playing on the bed of a pick up truck while Dad bailed hay. I was showing off my skills walking around the top of the truck bed like it was a balance beam. Of course, I slipped and fell off. When I hit the ground, the breath was completely knocked out of me. I was breathless and struggling to inhale just a small breath.
Anything!
It was such a horrible experience not being able to catch my breath. An older brother, I can't remember which it was, held me and told me I was okay. Eventually, I could breathe again but it seemed like it took forever when I couldn't breathe. All because I was showing off for the smaller kids which included my little sister. Ah, the memories from childhood!
We FINALLY grew up as we longed to do. She was a bridesmaid at my wedding and cried through the entire ceremony. In almost every picture her eyes are swollen and her nose is red. I think she might love me or she just always cries at weddings. :)
Now, we're in mid-life with grown children and she has grandchildren.
We've lived some life and had some heartaches. We've had a LOT of joy, too! I'm thankful for all of my brothers and sisters. But my little sister is special. I guess because we were stuck in a room together for so many years trying to tolerate each other!
This has been a difficult year for my little sister. She's had the wind knocked out of her with the reality of life and can't catch her breath.
So, my prayer for her is this:
God, please breathe.
Breathe Your powerful breath over my little sister's life while she can't catch hers. Pick her up off the ground and help her. Hold her until there's air in her lungs again.
Heal her broken heart and crushed spirit. I know You are close to us during these times. Show her how mighty Your works are even when she doesn't understand the pain she is going through.
I love her and admire her strength. Thank you for making her my little sister.
In Jesus' powerful and mighty name, Amen.
He is close to the broken-hearted. He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Psalms 34:18