Sisters I Never Wanted

I was the oldest of three siblings, and to this day I'm fairly close with my two younger brothers. I always dreamed of having a sister, though. When my father would bring up the subject with my mother, I'd hang around nearby, listening carefully, hoping this time she'd finally agree to his plan. He yearned to adopt a little girl from a foreign land. Though his wishes never came to fruition, we were a happy family with plenty of love to go around and even spill over onto our friends. The home was always open and the welcome mat out for our friends.

These days I seem to take note of so many who have experienced rifts within their families. Siblings are estranged from each other, parents aren't speaking to their children, and grandchildren could care less if they spend time with their grandparents or not. Seeing this pain and loneliness all around me hurts my heart.

I shouldn't be surprised. The Bible verses I read this morning reminded me of Satan's awful plan. He means to discourage us, make us afraid, and work against us to frustrate our plans. Read Ezra 4:3-5 to see how he does this. Sometimes we need to be reminded, lest we become unaware and lethargic in how we live each day.

He plans to discourage us and isolate us from each other in any way he can. And, with the current Covid quarantines in place, it's no wonder he has an easier time backing us into those lonely, discouraging states of mind.

Loneliness and discouragement are sad sisters, indeed. Those are two sisters I never wanted, nor do I ever.

We must take care to reach out to our friends in Christ and spend time with them. It's vital to purposefully find ways to spend time with our friends. Stay active in a strong local church. Make an attempt to plug into a fellowship group or Bible study. The unknown author of Hebrews commands us to "encourage one another daily" (Hebrews 3:13).

We can thank the Lord that he gives us encouragement and endurance to get through these rough days. We can also do our part to avoid withdrawing and isolating ourselves when it feels so difficult.

Find a friend and be a friend.