The light in your eyes

There are times when you really just need a trip down Memory Lane.

For some reason, I feel the need to conjure up a memory from my past, though it might be painful to think about at times. Well, some parts of it, at least. For the most part, though, I suppose you could call this a happy tale.

This is a story about the day I made my sister lie.

Yes, that's right. I caused someone else to sin, and I did it intentionally. I am a horrible person.

I was in ninth grade (so, for those of you keeping score at home, yes I was a Christian by this point), and I had recently broken my hand while playing basketball with a bunch of guys at the local YMCA. So, because I clearly had high aspirations of pursuing my basketball career deep into my life beyond high school and college (yeah, right), I thought it would be wise to go up to the Y and shoot some hoops with my left hand and practice dribbling so that I could stay on top of my game. But I didn't want to go alone—I was a freshman, after all.

My younger sister didn't have much to do, so I asked her to go with me. My mom was busy and couldn't accompany us, so Steph was a little worried about the fact that she was only 13 at the time, and you couldn't be at the Y without parental supervision unless you were 14. I told her not to worry—we would just tell a little fib if that problem arose. But I honestly didn't think it would be a big issue.

As with many other incidents in my life, I was mistaken.

As soon as we walked in the door, without our cards, of course, the lady at the front desk forcefully asked us who we were and how old we were. As a big, bad 15-year-old, I was safe. The little runt, however, stumbled through her words as she claimed to be 14. When the lady asked Steph when her birthday is, she lied on the year, as I told her to do.

Yes, I know I am a horrible sister.

We proceeded on our way and went into the gym so that Steph could rebound for me and pretend to guard me as a ferociously drove to the hoop. (Looking back, she really was so giving to me that day and definitely didn't deserve what was about to happen to her. Foreshadowing.) Things were going just great until the grumpy lady who hated her job burst through the glass doors and onto the hardwood.

"Stephanie!" She then berated my sister for lying and basically made the poor little girl feel like she was the scum of the earth for exaggerating her age by one year. Really, was it that big of a deal? Apparently it was.

The worst part of the whole thing is that I didn't step in and say that I made her do it, like a good big sister would. I would do anything for my sister, and I know I would defend her in any situation. But, as a freshman in high school, I guess I was a little bit more hesitant.

We were then kicked out of the Y.

The walk home was awful. Steph definitely didn't want to have any engaging conversation with me, and I think we were both more than relieved when we saw my mom's big red Suburban pulling up to us as we faced quite the long stretch of pavement until we were home.

Biggest blessing ever: my little sister.

When we got home, my precious little Squirt went straight to her bedroom and began crying on her bed. I felt absolutely horrible. My sister was in tears of guilt, and it was all my fault. I tried to go talk to her, but she wanted nothing to do with me, and I totally deserved it. You know that knot in your stomach you get when you've done something wrong? I had about seven of them at the moment, because I knew that she had only committed her YMCA criminal act because her older sister—someone who should be striving to be a role model for her—had forced her to go on a journey to the Y and encouraged her to get a reputation of a little liar.

I promise that I'm really not the Devil dressed up as a girl.

I thought about it for a little bit, and I decided I needed to win my sister's heart—and her trust—back before she saw me as a failure of an older sister for the rest of our lives.

Enter LeAnn Rimes.

Don't ask me why, but I started listening to "The Light in Your Eyes" and taught myself all of the lyrics. I took the portable CD player (I know, way old school) into Steph's room and cued the music before I serenaded her and belted the lyrics:

"Keep on shining

Keep on smiling

Don't lose faith, and don't lose heart

When you're crying

Just keep trying to remind yourself

You're a shining star, yes you are"

I don't know how it worked, but she actually forgave me. And, for the record, that was seriously probably the last time she told a lie. Thankfully, she is more of a truth-teller than most people.

Every time I think about this memory, I can't help but think about the fact that there are probably so many other times I've caused people to sin and likely not even realized it. Instead, we should be encouraging others to live their lives in honorable ways that bring glory to God. We shouldn't be the ones to bring others down and make them go cry on their beds.

We should remind them not to lose that light in their eyes. The world will be a lot brighter.

Whenever I hear this song, I can't help but smile and think about how much I love my gracious baby sister.