My sister, Katherine, took one of her precious days off from work to help me yesterday. And it meant the world to me.
It was a simple a project, really, but it had me stymied. I needed help figuring out how to landscape my front flowerbed, and I could not seem to make a decision on which plants to pull out of there, and what new plants and shrubs to replace them with. And it had been in this state of indecision for about three years. Ugh.
I guess I always had more important things to do than spend time and money on my flowerbed, but it had once looked beautiful and had given me a lot of pleasure. But over time, several shrubs had died and left bare spots in the area, and I didn’t know how to go about redesigning the space.
Enter my garden-loving, plant-expert sister. She came with books and measuring tape, bags of dirt and a shovel. She drove 75 miles, helped me draw up a plan, went with me to three nurseries and then helped me dig holes, move old plants and plant the new ones. We spread the finishing mulch around our masterpiece as the sun went down.
Katherine did more than just plant some rosebushes and evergreens for me. She lifted my spirits. She met my need. She made me laugh. She made the work fun.
She made me feel loved.
I wonder if you have ever had an experience like this? Has a sister or friend ever done something for you that touched you in a special way? Maybe it was something “insignificant,” like being willing to discuss shrubs until you understood them, or maybe it was something much greater, like leading you to Christ. Friendship, sisterhood . . . is a bond that happens when one hand reaches out for another. It softens the hard places in the world, and graces your life with gentle beauty.
Priscilla and I would love to hear your stories of sisterhood and friendship. Would you share yours?
Blessings,
Rachel in Texas, and Priscilla – still Down Under!
