“So, what’s wrong Diane? I sense there’s something bothering you,” Diane’s older sister Ginny inquired, timidly.

“Nothing at all,” she replied sarcastically, without looking up from her ironing. “I’m just trying to get ready for work,” she added; trying to keep her high state of frustration and annoyance to herself, but only for her own sake.

Ginny walked away, with a little eye roll she hoped Diane didn’t notice, and went into her bedroom to straighten up and pray for Diane. ‘I know she doesn’t mean to be so difficult Lord, but she sure is! Please help me to cope with her while she deals with…… well, her personality, and please help me to help her!’

Just as she concluded her prayer, Diane passed by her room with her day’s attire slung over her arm.

Later that day, after Ginny finished sweeping all the remaining hair from the floor of her home-based salon, she couldn’t help but wonder what kind of mood Diane would be in when she returned home from her secretarial job that evening. ‘Lord, please help me! I’ve been sensing her getting worse lately, and I know it’s not a simple matter of emotional immaturity that will naturally improve over time, no…..this is serious! She needs help! She claims to know You and be saved, but she totally ignores YOU, while constantly abiding in pride and self-centeredness; insisting on her own way over every little thing AND getting mad at me when I didn’t even do anything wrong! I’m trying so hard not to get upset, but it’s SO hard. Please show me what she needs so you can work through me to get to her. I can’t possibly do anything for her without YOUR help. Thank You Lord. I pray this in Jesus’ Holy Name,” Amen.’

Then she went into the kitchen to get dinner started. Just as she was pouring olive oil into a pan to fry her meatballs, Diane came through the front door and slammed it hard.

“Oh no! Here we go!” Ginny blurted. Then, she put her hands over her mouth and headed into the living room to see what was wrong.

“What’s the problem?!” she asked, not quite as timidly as usual.

“NOTHING!” Diane retorted and ran upstairs to the sanctity of her bedroom.

Ginny went back to her cooking; shaking her head all the way, and sighing a little bit too. ‘Oh LORD….I guess things have to come to a head right? The only way to deal with this is for me to react the way You would have me to react. So….how should I react? I can’t believe I’m being bullied by my own kid sister, just because our father was abusive I guess…..She must have picked up that gene or something. Lord It’s hard for me to live with her as my roommate. And now that our parents are both deceased, I don’t have anyone to talk to about this either….But then I have the One Who knows ALL to advise me.”

So, Ginny continued to meditate on God and Scripture, as she made dinner; trusting that the answer would come, and that she would have the right words to say to her sister.

“Okay Diane, dinner’s ready!” She shouted up the stairs, but Diane didn’t answer, so she went upstairs to her room to check on her; only to discover that she had fallen asleep.

‘Okay, this is frustrating, but at least I get to eat my dinner in peace,’ she thought; trying to look on the bright side.

Then the next morning, both sisters happened to have the day off. ‘I wonder what today will bring,’ Ginny thought, as she got out of her bed and rubbed her eyes. ‘Please help me LORD,’ she prayed.

Then, as she inadvertently banged a few pots together; grabbing a frying pan to make eggs, Diane came running into the kitchen screaming, “Will you be quiet! I’m tryin’ to sleep in! Well I was anyway! Now it’s all ruined! I’ll never get back to sleep now!”

“Well, I’m sorry Diane. I was just trying to make myself some scrambled eggs for goodness sake!” Ginny replied; turning her back on Diane to shed a few tears.

At that, Diane went back upstairs to try to get back to sleep.

Ginny sat down, not eating her breakfast, and stared at the wall. “OH GOD!” She quietly hollered, with tears streaming down her cheeks. “I can’t believe the way my day off is starting. I’ve had patience with her, I’ve been nothing but pleasant to her…..What else can I do? She’s the most difficult, the grumpiest, the meanest sister, well it seems like anyway! Should I threaten to move out? Should I try to stay patient and keep praying? WHAT GOD?...... WHAT?” Just then, she was startled by a loud bang coming from upstairs.

“Will you shut the hell up! You don’t think I can hear your stupid prayers!” Diane shouted from her room, so loudly that Ginny had no problem hearing her from all the way down in the kitchen.

‘She couldn’t have heard me clearly. She probably just heard mumbling, but knew that I was praying because what else can I do! And she knows I always pray. What a…..OOOHHH,’ she screamed in her head. ‘Okay, now this has gone too far.  She’s shouting so loud the neighbors can probably hear her. I have to do something!’ Then she felt God tell her she needed to at least try to speak calmly, but seriously with her sister and explain that she feels extremely unhappy and mistreated by her. “Okay God,” she muttered. “It’s time.”

Then she slowly walked up the stairs, with her heart pounding, but Diane had locked her bedroom door.

Well this went on for years, with Ginny always ready to help and advise, and Diane rejecting it all, only to be left feeling miserable and alone. Ginny continued to pray, but understood that God has given us all free will, therefore, her prayers, although not in vain, could only help her if she allowed them to help her. Eventually, she realized she had to do something to end the abuse she was constantly subject to; she had to cut off ties with her sister, whom she dearly loved, and it broke her heart.

Another fifteen years passed with no contact between Ginny and her sister, but Ginny never stopped praying. She never gave up hope, even though she knew she had no control over what her sister would do or not do. And, even though Diane treated her with great hatred and contempt when they lived together in their early twenties.

Now in her late eighties, Ginny has developed a deeper understanding of her sister’s issues in getting along with her. She had no trouble getting along with anyone else, which was a huge clue.

“She specifically had a problem with me. No one else, just me,” she confided to her Pastor, one fateful Sunday morning after services.

“Well, not only does God give us free will, He also gives us personalities with weaknesses, so that we will come to Him, but some Christians never come to the end of themselves. Their pride stops them from allowing God to help them with their weaknesses, and instead of relying on Him they grow farther and farther away from Him and sink deeper and deeper into themselves. Your offers of help she probably took as a threat. She couldn’t have you finding out how she really feels. You can define that as ‘self-care’ and the issues that are caused by that countenance before God…..And I also suspect a bit of jealousy. She could clearly see that you were happy, and she was so NOT happy…..well, it makes sense that she would be jealous of that, which also explains why she only had problems getting along with you.”

“Well of course! That makes perfect sense! Thanks for your help Pastor! I’ll remember that always…..It’s good to know that I tried anyway,” Ginny replied.

“God saw what you tried to do. How you tried to bring Diane to the truth and you didn’t give up. You may not have been able to help her, but remember as long as you are both still here, there’s still the possibility that she’ll call you one day with an apology and an explanation, and even if she never does, at least you know it wasn’t your fault,” he kindly concluded.

Ginny smiled, as she opened the church door and went home to her peaceful home to kiss her adoring husband hello.

“How was church?” He asked as soon as she stepped into the house.

“Great!” She replied.

“Ya know I’ve been thinking and well……do you think it’ll be alright if I join you next Sunday?”

“Are you kidding?! OF COURSE!” she replied; hurrying into his arms.

‘Oh thank You Lord! I’m so grateful that even though I couldn’t help my sister, it seems my example has been rubbing off on my husband! PRAISE THE LORD!”

Linzy is a certified Bible Counsellor, with countless republications on her viewers blogs, Bible Studies, Ezines and the like. Her portfolio includes, non-fiction articles, short stories for all ages, and Christian poetry.