Everyday Knowing Reminder - Sunday Message March 21, 2010

Sibling Relationships

We continue this month discussing family – Beyond Blood Ties. Today I begin with sibling relationships. I have heard stories of families not speaking due to a huge fight. I have seen sisters becoming best friends, bonded by family ties. What happens when we go beyond the blood ties? What happens when we release our expectation of what family is and allow God to flow through us? What happens is what we were looking for has always been right where we were looking.

Two years ago I started speaking with my sister on a regular basis after numerous years of not having a relationship. Well, actually, we never really had a relationship. There was not a major fight, we just lived different lives. She is five years my senior and we were just never at the same point in our lives, until now. I would love to tell you that I called and everything has been perfect since, but that would not be true.

We’ve had a few bumps and curves as we redefined what our relationship will look like. We have had moments in our communication that we thought would not work out. There we times when I did not know if I could listen anymore, yet it resolved itself. While we may not agree on certain points of view or sometimes old sister rivalry (ego) has come into play, we still continue to talk. There are times when I think she is over the edge and times when she thinks I will never get “it.”

Finally, last Friday, I heard a sound within her I had never heard to this degree before: peace. She was centered, focused, and calm. She seemed to be in the space she always talks about. It was in this moment that I was ready to receive her wisdom. She gave to me wonderful gifts. First, the gift of receiving what she had to offer and then the joy of a relationship which will continue to grow. By being willing to truly see what she had to offer, through an open heart, I let go of my own worry and connected with her on a different level. How grateful I AM to have experienced these moments with her.

We spoke a few days later and while she was not as calm, her voice was still different, still centered. She laughed as she said that she was not in her God-space as she was in the day before. We both laughed, as we released our expectation of one another. Since I love how she was the other day, I had asked her to stay in that space. Through this laughter, we both relaxed. She knows that I still love her even when she is not in her God-space.

Today when she left a message, I did not even recognize her voice. Her voice was light and happy. Whatever has happened, in this moment our relationship is joyful. While each day our relationship evolves, we may not always see eye to eye. Sometimes, one or both of us may be caught in life’s challenges. Yet, after experiencing her as the light that I have always known her to be, I AM open. I can approach those days more relaxed for I know I have seen her incredible soul in action. As I stroll down life’s path, I have opened myself to see what there is for me to learn from my everyday sibling.