As the old saying goes, “You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.” There is a lot of truth to that for many people. Just ask Claudia Evart.
Evart is the founder of the Siblings Day Foundation. Her sister, Lisette, and brother, Alan, both died tragically. The brother and sister bond with them was good before their death so Claudia took their deaths especially hard. Realizing what a treasure her siblings were, she chose to honor their memory and create a foundation that would encourage others to love their siblings as if there is no tomorrow – which very well could be the case.
Lisette was 19 and on a trip with her dad in the Netherlands when they were involved in a multi-car pileup. Both Lisette and her dad were killed. Fourteen years later at the age of 35, Alan was killed in an accident. The loss of her siblings caused Claudia to reflect on the blessings of family and to channel that grief into a productive venture.
April 10th of every year, Lisette’s birthday, was chosen to be National Siblings Day. Your siblings could be your best friends — or your worst enemies. This is a day, though, that reminds us to put all of that aside and to remember that blood is thicker than water. Perhaps some of those Bible siblings needed this encouragement.
Proverbs 17:17 tells us what siblings should be like. “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Unfortunately, many of the Biblical brothers WERE the adversity.
The first ones we see in Scripture are Cain and Abel. In a fit of jealous rage, Cain kills Abel. Genesis 4:8 says, “And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.” Not only are we introduced to the first siblings, but we are presented with the first murder.
Then, Genesis introduces us to Jacob and Esau. Genesis 25:23 says, “And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.” It seems that most of their lives, Jacob was trying to trick Esau into giving up something valuable. Whether it was the birthright or their father’s blessing, Jacob always had the upper hand and Esau was infuriated.
Another family trouble that happens in Genesis is between Joseph and his 11 brothers. Genesis 37:19-20 says, “And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. (20) Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” Instead of killing him, they decided to sell him to some Midianites traveling through. Going home, they told dad that Jospeh had been torn apart by an animal. It seems that their cruelty never ended.
Even in the New Testament, we have Mary and Martha. Though their situation wasn’t nearly as extreme as those examples from the Old Testament, there was enough sibling rivalry that showed up in their lives.
If you have brothers and sisters, let me encourage you to NOT do what these Bible characters did. Reach out to your siblings today. Sure, they get under your skin from time to time. That’s part of the job description for siblings! Put all of that aside and fan the flames of the family ties today.
Celebrate the day by watching some of the most famous siblings: Leave It To Beaver, The Brady Bunch and the brothers and sisters on Cosby. Yes, their troubles are scripted and solved in thirty minutes. But you might gain some insight into dealing with your own sibling rivalries.
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