Black Sheep Family

I am a black sheep.

The term "black sheep" is often used as a negative insinuation--the child who's rebellious and rejects the family, the co-worker who can't be as responsible as others, the cousin who dresses emo and looks like he'd hide in your closet with a hatchet.

I'm none of those. I'm not a rebel, I adore my family, and I don't even own a hatchet. But I am the middle child. I'm the snowboarder in a family of skiers. I'm the only one who's broken a bone. I got more stitches by age 10 than the rest of my family put together in 20 years. I'm the only one living far away.

But here's the thing:

My brother is a black sheep, too. My older sister is a black sheep. My parents are black sheep. My younger sister is a very black sheep. We're a family of black sheep. Each of us defies the odds of culture in a very unique way. Each of us has an individual breed of confidence woven into our wool.

I used to think my family and my upbringing were normal. Then I went to college and realized the intricately unique life and family in which God placed me. My new glasses made me look closer at who's raised me, who my siblings are. 

Dad

He's the man of 1,000 names: 

Papa, Pilot, Captain, Macho, Pastor, Biker, Father, Missionary, Cool, Musician, Giver, Dad, Carpenter, Fun, Ski-Racer, Coach, Sailor, Daddy... He's been all these things and more. 

My Daddy sacrificed some of his passions to take on a business so he could provide for his family. While being a business-owner, he also performed, organized, and instigated mission work to Russia; he followed God's urge to lead his family in Sunday studies until our porch held 20-or so Sunday friends who then morphed into Calvary Chapel of Teton Valley. My Dad won the "My-Dad-Beat-Your-Dad" competition the moment my oldest sibling, Nathan, took his first breath. 

Dad is skilled in finding people's potential. He knows the perfect addition to complete any atmosphere. He has always implanted the importance of family in my mind and shown his love for family with his smiles and laughs. He can figure out how to do anything (make a giant pond, fly a float plane, rock climb, longboard, bare-foot waterski, build a racing lawnmower, drive a horse & sleigh).

My dad is exceptional.

Mom

Mom has a genuine heart that seeks authenticity. She is always sincere, honest, and willing to be fun. She welcomes others into her house as if they're family. Mom raised us with imagination--showing us how to walk on the ceiling, enter into a novel, build forts, and make up stories.
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She gave birth naturally to five children without a single pain-killer. She roller-blades umpteen miles a day for fun. She's scuba dived in a sunken ship. My Mom is never afraid. I've seen her hold a gun steady-handed when her children were in danger. She's stepped up to lead worship when no one else was available. She saw a need and started a women's Bible study. She became a teacher when there wasn't a good school for her children.

She encouraged her children to seek independence, yet remains a best friend to each of us. She is seen every morning with her Bible and a cup of coffee, often with a verse to share that ends up being exactly what we need to hear that morning. She supports our dreams no matter how drastic or short-lived they are.

My Mom's actions subliminally teach others how to rejoice.

Elisabeth

At fifteen months old, Beth remembers peering over the crib at baby me. Thus began her role as a fierce, devoted leader. She threw rocks at boys who were rude, she taught me to climb trees and crawl out on the roof. She taught me a backflip on the trampoline. She ski-raced in pursuit of her Olympic dream, skiing faster than most of us drive. She always had intense pride in and loyalty to her family. Everyone at school knew she could beat them up if they attacked her siblings.

She jumped horses and won blue ribbons in Western showing. She has gone paragliding, parasailing, scuba-diving, sailing, dirt-bike riding, snowmachining, hunting, hiking, rock-climbing, and driven a Harley Davidson motorcycle. She's been a professional bassist for three different artists who've performed around the world and has no stage-fright. She knows all the bushes in the wilderness that are edible or poisonous. If need be, she could provide for her family off the land.

She is confident in everything she believes, says, and does. She is a loving and patient mother, a wife who builds up her husband, and a sister who toughened me enough to avoid being trampled by life. She has been a poet and painter, yet could shoot the bullseye out of a target on the opposite side of the state.

My sister is an inspiration.

Reuben

My younger brother can see the right and wrong in a situation before anyone else. I can't remember a single time he's lied. He takes steps forward when he's ready and never gives in to pressure. This ability to resist pressure has allowed him to pave his own path and defy expectations. 

He can fix a person's computer within a single click, he can stay in control of a motorcycle even when it's hailing, he can play any song in the world on the piano, he can delve into imagination with a snap of the fingers.

Reuben has always had a genuine and devoted heart. He loves peace and hates dissension. He helps where he sees help is needed. If he's asked to do something, he will do it no matter the inconvenience. He is an example for younger boys and spends time with them to develop a real friendship, even if they're not the same age. His confidence in who he's chosen to be and who God's made him to be  is endless.

Reuben has always avoided the limelight. He wants to give, but doesn't want to be seen. He has very little selfishness. If needed, he would give you his truck for free without a backward glance. He's humble without drawing attention to his humility.

My brother is incomparable.

Melanie

This little sprite of fire has matchless determination. She's only sixteen and yet she's a figure skater, she's completed two years of schooling in one, she has traveled to 9 countries, she's a certified scuba diver, she's hosted and put-on a prom for an entire valley, and she's competed in the national spelling bee.

Melanie loves to surprise others. She takes so much joy in giving others gifts that at Christmas it's  more fun watching her watch us than opening presents. She adores cooking new dishes that may take up to 9 hours to prepare.

She wants to be excited and jubilant with others. She shares joy and welcomes others in to her joy. Where she sees hurt, she wants to fix it. Where she sees darkness, she wants to bring light. She's a born leader who even leads her older siblings sometimes. Where she sees beauty, she wants to capture it, even if that means running across a mud-soaked field in the middle of a storm to catch a rainbow.

She's always the first to say sorry. She loves to enter into a story, whether that means decorating the house to set the scene or creating a tasty hot drink concoction to match the perfect book.

My sister is passionate.

I live in a black sheep family. Each year we only grow bolder in color as we pile on more uniqueness, but this isn't accomplished on our own. God gave us each paint brushes. We affect one another, intentionally or not. Only after sitting down and writing this blog post could I see how much my family has shaped me. Most of all, its our God that's shaped us. I've learned to embrace not fitting in. I learned that from my family. The odd-man-out is a beautiful place to be.