Marissa: Sisters Without the “in-law”
Marissa and I have grown so much closer these past 2 months as we have traveled and lived together throughout Mexico and Guatemala. In the beginning of this journey we quietly struggled through misperceptions of one another and how we would get passed those little idiosyncrasies that annoyed us about each other. We both wanted to find a deeper level of comfort and friendship amidst our obvious differences in personality. Over time, something beautiful happened and we began to appreciate and embrace one another’s differences more and more. Those annoying habits and idiosyncrasies became things that we even cherished about the other.
I can recall this moment of realization very clearly. You see in the beginning we would introduce each other by saying things like, ” this is my sister-in-law, Marissa,” or “this is my brothers wife, Marissa,” or “this is Tara my husband’s sister.” Something shifted and one day I noticed that when we introduced each other we just said, “this is my sister.” I remember smiling and thinking to myself, “wow we really are sisters now without the “in-law” title. It is as though we transitioned from something we had to be to something we both really wanted to be, true sisters.
One night as we sat at La Terraza Marissa added a new dread to my hair. On the left center of my head I have this perfectly knotted and precisely shaped dread to remind me of how Marissa and I have been weaved together into this new sense of sisterhood. It is obviously different then the rest and I love that! It is so fitting of my discovery of Marissa’s unique giftedness and deep inner and outer beauty.
Marissa is an exceptional and exquisite woman who has this natural inclination to deeply care for and relate to others. She has deep compassion for children and will one day make a remarkable mom. You should see her face light up when she encounters a baby, or small child. It is absolutely adorable. Not only that, but she is so talented at planning, organizing, logistics, and communicating. She has this perfect balance with her laid-back nature and adventurous spirit. She is also a servant and serves others quietly with love and grace. She might not think others notice, but I definitely am aware of the many times she cleans up after our team without any bitterness. Marissa is very encouraging with her words and this is being revealed even more as God is birthing in her a gift of prophesy. She is so incredibly gorgeous as well (you can see from the pictures). Marissa is a glimpse of heaven! I am so excited that the journey of our friendship has just begun and I am so proud to call her “My sister.”
