Sisters....

 This is a picture of my two older sisters and a cousin, my younger sister is not pictured.  I am in the hat to the left, my oldest sister is next to me and my sister that I call all day like we're in high school is in the hat on the right. 
I don't have any brothers so I can not compare but I LOVE my sister.  I actually have 3 sisters.  My relationship is different with them all.  I am like a mother to my younger sister, she reminds me often that she was my baby before I had children.  She tortures tells my children that I use to spoil her before they came along ( and that they ruined her good thing).    Then that leaves the one just above me.  She is 10 years older than me ( I pray she doesn't kill me for saying that).  I talk to her every day, several times a day.  Our children are the same age, so we go through a lot of the stages together.  We are opposite in so many ways, but I am soooo thankful for her  in my life.  We don't always see eye to eye but I KNOW she loves me.  I love her.  I thank God for her everyday.  As the years go by we get closer and closer.  God has really cultivated our relationship.  I didn't even see it happen but God had a plan for us.  My sister is super private, I mean SUPER private.  I am full disclosure, of course because I am sharing my life on the web.  God has created a safe space for us.  I am thankful that I can be the person who prays with her.  I am thankful that I can be the one who listens.  She does the same for me.  I don't know where I would be without her.  I was recently thinking about that so this is me without her:
1. I would be hairy (because she taught me to shave my legs)
2. I would not be cultured (because she got my first magazine subscription and she taught the importance of reading for fun)
3. My medicine cabinet would be bare( my sister kept EVERYTHING in her cabinet.  Whatever you need, she seriously has it. Band-aids, any kind of cream, nail stuff, hair stuff, glittery stuff, Her house is like Target)
4. I would not have a driver license ( My parents didn't teach me to drive, she gave me tips but more importantly she taught me the importance of independence )
5. I would be less thoughtful ( She would always leave cards, notes, gifts, and candy in my bathroom just because)
6. I would probably be more of a drama queen ( I am not saying that I'm not one, but she consoled me when my parents could not send me on a school trip to Jamaica.  I thought I was going to DIE!! All of the cool kids were going but me. From that day forward I could keep life in perspective)

The list could go on but as you can see my sister has been so good for and to me. 
Sisters don't have to be blood, mine just happens to be.  Iron sharpens iron and my sister definitely sharpens me.  Today I am praying for the sisters that God gave me, sisters by birth and sisters by God.  I am praying that we all encourage each other, hold one another accountable, that we love without hesitation, that we are transparent so that we all can see the work of the Lord in our lives.