you be nice to your sister!
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you be nice to your sister! |
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[From time to time, a letter from a mysterious Shadow Gentleman shows up in the pages of the book. These letters contain missions for the reader, which will
help him to actually TAKE ACTION and bless his sister's hearts. This is the first of those assignments, and the most important (so important that it comes
BEFORE lesson one!). A praying brother can do anything that needs doing.]
The Art and Science of Finishing Last, Sample Mission THE SHADOW GENTLEMAN'S ROAD MISSION Zero -- ENTREATIES Sir, There are times when it is appropriate to tell someone that you are praying for her -- in order to give her peace of mind and peace of heart, or in order to let her know that she is welcome to share her needs and joys with you. Sometimes, knowing that you are in another person's daily prayers is an absolutely tremendous blessing. But this is not one of those times. This is a stealth mission. You will bypass your sister entirely and go straight to the Higher Power on her behalf. This is your first assignment because it is (and will remain) your most important. But also because it is almost impossible to mess it up. Talk to God about your sister and don't tell her about it -- can you handle that? I have supreme confidence that you can. Eventually you will want to do this for all your close sisters, but for now choose just one. Do you have a crush on her? (I see your mind!) Choose another one. Disentangling brotherly love from romantic love is..."advanced". We'll talk about it in due time, be sure of that. Have you chosen? Marvelous! Now this is a service project. That means you are aiming to be useful! Here we go... Ask God to give you a thoughtful, Christ-centered view of your sister. Reflect on what you know about her life and her self. Ask God to give you a true picture of her needs. Think about her needs for five minutes, and write them down as you think. (Time yourself! It is a good way to commit and to keep your thoughts from wandering. It helps you to say "I am doing this one thing, and this one thing only -- not eating, not answering the phone -- for this block of time." Five minutes is longer than it sounds). Now this is very simple: spend five more minutes asking God to care for these needs. Pray specifically for each one, knowing that God is delighted to take care of His daughter, and delighted to answer the kindhearted requests of you, His son. Do you know what you have done? You have quite silently and invisibly pleaded your sister's case before a Loving Power greater than the stars. Your prayers are useful, and God will use them. Who can say why the All-Knowing allows Himself to be moved by our ignorant cries? Because He loves us, I should think. Your prayers for her are an opportunity for God to love you both. Commit to doing this every day. Five minutes for your sister in prayer -- and an extra five minutes at the beginning of the week to think if her needs have changed. Thank you, sir! That's right gentlemanly of you! Sincerely, <there is no signature ...or else the author has an invisible name> |