"A Gift"

When I decided to start this blog, I did not want it to become a forum of my religious beliefs. Those are very personal to me, but as I look back over my posts, I can see that there is a religious theme to many posts. So, to carry on with that theme:

Today I got up and went to a doctors appointment, and to my physical therapy appointment (physical therapy is just a form of legalized torture in my opinion). I came home, and decided to check my email. I had received an email from my wonderful, amazing sister about the Savior. It was a slide show of the life of Christ, set to the hymn "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing", which happens to be one of my favorite hymns. Needless to say watching the slide show, made a little teary, and it gave me that "warm and fuzzy feeling" we Mormons have labeled: feeling The Spirit.

It was really no accident that my sister, Stephanie sent me this email. These kinds of things is just a part of who she is. My sister is a truly amazing person. SHE IS NOT PERFECT!!!!!!! I don't want her thinking that I think she is perfect, because that just upsets her, but she is amazing. I wish that I could put into words the feelings that I have about her, to me, she is a gift. My sister has an inner strength that is astounding.

With her first 2 pregnancies both of her boys were born very, very sick. When she got pregnant with Jack (her 2 month old) I, of course, was very worried. But she was amazing. Her baby was born healthy and happy. She even got to take him home when she went home from the hospital. I remember holding Jack, and I kept seeing, in my minds eye, my sister. She was praying. I know that she prayed for the health of that baby more than she's prayed for anything in her life. In fact, she jokes about it now, she says that God got tired of hearing from her, so he just gave in. I don't see it that way.

Last night, we went to Steph's house. She was having a birthday party for her 3 year old. We went to celebrate for a few minutes I was amazed by my sister. She was calm and collected, when I have people over, I need tranquilizers!!! When we went to leave I told her that we had to go because we hadn't eaten dinner yet. Her response: "We haven't eaten dinner either. Hey Mike, you might want to get on that!!" She makes me smile.

Sometimes I do try to avoid my sister. But that has nothing to do with her. My sister the who I want to be when I grow up, and sometimes, I try to avoid her so I'm not reminded of how far I have to go. Steph has so many of the qualities that I wish I had, mainly her faith. When ever I hear something about having faith to move mountains, I think of my sister. If I could have a tenth of her faith I would be so much better off. Stephanie definitely has her struggles, but her faith helps her through most of them. In matters of faith, Steph is a Rock-Star! Questions and problems that seem so difficult to me, to her are a matter of faith. I think if Steph got a dollar for every time she told me to "have faith", she could live next door to Donald Trump.

Anyway, like I said in the beginning about that email she sent me about the Savior, "those types of things are just a part of who she is". Steph is many things: she's a wife, mother, daughter, friend, student, teacher, neighbor, and a million other things but I have the blessing of calling her "my kid sister". I will gladly take that gift, and treasure it forever. I love you Steph.