Peace Love and Pony Rides
I recently had a friend express a measure of disappointment at the fact that her sister is not a Christian. Not only is she not a Christian, but she’s also not sure there is a God. My friend has a well-rooted, principled relationship with the Father, and feels she no longer connects with her sister. She even expressed dislike for her and now avoids interacting with her.
What happens to the relationship when one sibling is committed to her relationship with God, and the other doesn’t even know who He is? The sibling relationship is one God intended to be one of the most important relationships you’ll have. Now, the first ever recorded sibling relationship gives us no indication of that, as Cain killed his brother Abel, but 1 John 4:20 says, “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. God has intertwined loving him with loving his children. Verse 21 “And we have this command from him: the one who loves God must also love his brother and sister. This verse encompasses loving everyone, not just our siblings.
What is the best representation of God in our lives? Love! Just because another individual’s ideology does not align with our own, does not mean we disconnect from them. It could mean that God wants to use us and the representation of our life to be a sweet and wonderful representation of him.
I remember one Saturday afternoon, I learned, from two little girls, a profound lesson in being intentional to show my siblings love. I found Kerrigan, my youngest, peering out the front window that faced the driveway leading to the cul-de-sac on which our house was built. I remember choosing that lot when we decided to build our home, especially for the reason of having the girls play there without concern of vehicular traffic. They often did, as I often watched from the very window Kerrigan was now peering out.
This Saturday afternoon was one of the most beautiful, sunny, summer days we had experienced, as it was the beginning of summer, not yet sweltering hot. I had assumed she was there smitten with the family of birds we had found nesting in the big tree just in front of the window days before this day. When I approached Kerrigan and looked at her face, a single tear was rolling down her sweet cheek. Before I could speak, she looked up at me and pointed outside the window. I could see about 20 giggling girls jumping in anticipation, waiting in line for their turn to ride the pony on the edge of our driveway–a pony! Yes! On our driveway! Kerrigan had not been invited to the birthday party of the same-aged little girl next door. Oh, how she would have enjoyed a pony ride. She had never ridden a pony before and to see some of the girls she knew from the neighborhood riding a pony and partially using our driveway to do it was hurtful and unbelievable. My mind raced to understand what was happening. By now several tears were streaming down Kerrigan’s cheeks and I wanted to burst.
Instead of bursting, we both turned to see Kierstin, then only eight, hopping towards us, her usual jovial self. Kerrigan looked up at her big sister and when their eyes met, she pointed outside the window, tears still flowing. We three stood there for a few seconds heartbroken. Does Jesus feel this way when our hearts are breaking? Was He feeling our pain in this moment? Our hurt? Our disappointment? Yes. He was.
Then, as sure as the day was beautiful, a calmness swept across the room and Kierstin bent down on her knees and hands and said, “Hey Kerrigan, hop on! I’ll give you pony rides!” Kerrigan climbed onto her sister’s back and they rode through the house giggling and having a sweet, precious moment between siblings. It was like the breath of God breathed on the situation and my little girl found her place of solace in my big girl! That’s what siblings look like. That’s what siblings do! They comfort one another and rescue one another with peace, love, and pony rides.
I’d like to encourage you to re-establish a broken sibling relationship. And remember, God wants you to look like him when you make the connection. And he looks like love, all the time.
