By Jo Buck
I love watching home renovation shows. One of the construction terms that I find most fascinating is the word “sistering.” In construction, it refers to the process of reinforcing weakened or damaged lumber (like a floor joist or roof rafter) by securing a new, stronger piece directly alongside it.
I don’t know who came up with the term “sistering,” but I can see why they did. That “coming alongside to reinforce” idea is exactly how woman support each other as sisters. Or, at least, how we should. I must admit there have been many times in my own life that I should have been this support to others but was not. First Thessalonians 5:11 tells us to “build each other up”—to attach ourselves to those around us who are weakened to make them stronger. So, what might it look like for us to “sister” each other?