"Why, yes. Yes I am!"

My lovely sister Sarah turned 15 yesterday. She also spent half a week with me because the rest of the family was at camp and she had to work at here semi-new job. We had a lovely time.
She is such an earthy home girl at heart. Right now she is in the kitchen going on about the garden. Picking cumbers and squash thrill her! She sent me a text the other day that said "hey! guess what? we have lots of garden goddies ourselves. today i picked a cucumber, squash, and a beautiful zuchhini. dont you judge!"
She also has a wonderful creative imagination that only a few people see. She loves to scrapbook, collect buttons, write out words in funky ways, and organize things in a unique way. She enjoys taking things that can no longer be used for their original intention and makes them into something useful or decorative. In her room she has an old cookie sheet in a book holder with magnets on it. She also displays her large earrings on tennis rackets. She loves to read blogs. Most of the time when I write mine, I act like I am only writing to her.
Anyone who has known her more than a day knows she is basically the most hilarious person a person will ever meet. She knows how to tell a story well and always creates the best come backs. She also has a large supply of one-liners that she seems to pull out of nowhere. the other day I did something utterly clumsy and she said, "Hey, you want some nuggets to go with that fail sauce?!" She was only jesting of course. And while most people know Sarah was being hilarious, there is so much more to her than that. Many times that funny mode is a way to smooth over an awkward moment, release tension, or mask what she really thinks or feels about something.
In reality, she is quite sensitive. I do not mean that she is emotional, which she can be sometimes, but that she is in tune with the feelings of others. She knows how to draw people out of themselves, to make them comfortable, and to feel loved. People are drawn to her, yes because of her humor, but because when she is with someone, she sees them. Exactly how they are.

Trusting has never come easy for Sarah, but when she does you see a very beautiful woman. She shows you that she loves you by the time she spends with you.
She can be a girly girl. She loves to where a dress, put on a pair of heels, and accessorize, but she has never passed up the opportunity to play a game of football. When all the girls are sitting inside and chatting, many times you will find Sarah out with the boys, not flirting, but beating them at whatever they are doing.
She enjoys the simple things in life, like hot chocolate, going for a walk, or swinging on a hammock.
Last year, I wrote her a letter to explain to her some things that where going on in my life. In it, I shared my prayer for her life. While those words where written under different circumstances, they are still true today.

"I love how you can make anyone and everyone laugh, how hurt when you see the pain of others, the injustice in the world. I love your tears, because they show your sensitive heart. I love your dramatic flare, because it shows your desire to create laughter and smiles. My prayer for you, my dear sister, is that your eyes will fill with tears because of an aching heart at the thought of people spending eternity in hell without Christ. I pray that the Lord will take your dramatic flare, and use it to win people to Himself, to bring them a deeper joy than laughter. Your gifts and abilities are God-given. Use them for Him!"

And now as she stands on the threshold of womanhood, I see that prayer being answered. I am learning to step back, watch, and answer with pride when someone says to me, "Hey, are you Sarah's sister?!"

"Why, yes. Yes I am!"