My sister and I have been given a gift that God is permitting us to share beyond our biological bonds.
I can count on my sister. I can
count on being able to make her laugh with even the dumbest of jokes,
and on having an adventure buddy who is up for just about anything. I
can count on her to get annoyed when I start verbally processing my day
as she is trying to go to bed. I can count on the fact that she will
motivate me to do the things in life that I really don’t want to do, but
need to do.
Last fall, the two of us rode our bicycles from Maryland to
Georgia. Even though we’ve spent much of our lives together, this
really took things to the next level—six weeks of being with each other
24/7. Some of you with siblings might be thinking that sounds like a
good way to make you not want to see the other person for a very long
time—but it had the opposite effect on us. By the end of the trip, we
began wondering whether it was even possible for us to ever get tired of
each other! We discovered we made a great team. Not only do our gifts
complement each other, but we enjoy working together. We help each other
to be the kind of people we want to be.
After our bike trip, we each
entered into times of transition that led us toward a shared dream of
living in intentional community with other Christians. Even though we
had no clue what that would look like, or where we would end up, we
wanted each other to be a part of it. So, when the idea of leading a
Service Adventure unit together came up, it seemed like a good fit.
The
position and program included so many of the things we’re passionate
about: a lifestyle of simplicity, service, and solidarity; sharing life
together with other followers of Christ; growing in our relationship
with Jesus; interacting with and mentoring younger adults; conflict
mediation—all packaged in fun and adventure. The offer came at a good
time; at this stage in life, we both have ample time and energy to
invest in other people—in this case, a house of awesome and crazy
teenagers.
By now, we’ve got one year under our belts and are heading
into a second one. Along the way, we’ve continued to experience
familiar, effortless teamwork. And we’ve been stretched. We feel
fortunate to have this opportunity to support each other in ministry
through Service Adventure, and even more fortunate to like each other
enough to do it! It’s humbling to reflect on God’s great mission on this
earth, and that we are a part of it in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
