It was 9:30 p.m., the official "snack before bed time," and I happened to run into my little brother, also on his way to the fridge. I say little, but I really mean younger. He's had a beard since sixth grade and has been bigger than me for many years now. While we were hunting and gathering, I decided to ask him for some article inspiration. I took his idea and figured why not?

Zach, this one's for you.

The cool thing about being a sister is that you can only be a sister if you have a sibling (unless you're a nun). My little brother made me a sister -- a status I only have because he exists. When he was fresh out of the oven, I was a bit resentful. I was now the old biscuit and that little squirming creature was the hot bun.

Everyone has those people in their life that shape who they become as a person, without realizing there's even a "shaping" going on. It's a slow process that you can't necessarily see in a moment, like the erosion of the Grand Canyon deep into the face of the Earth.

I bet you can think of someone right now that fills that place in your life.

My little brother (who I gave the nickname "Munchkin Bait," when we were very young) is one of those people. You can't help but bond while covering the overweight, pet dalmatian in peanut butter.

Out of the many ways he has shaped me, one of the greatest is what I learned about God because of him.

That little booger is the first human I can honestly say I loved unconditionally. It makes sense to be proud of someone when they win the championship or conquer a fear. It's something totally different to feel that same pride just because they are simply loved unconditionally.

Unconditional love doesn't make sense and it's not logical.

I remember what it felt like the first time I realized how proud of him I was, in a way that had nothing to do with his actions and it was kind of profound. I got a glimpse of what it was like to understand the value of a human being in an inherent way, rather than a conditional way.

This changed the way I saw God.

Culture says that a person's value depends on their ability to conform to certain standards such as looks, income, physical abilities and so on. Because of this, many people live right under society's nose, and we aren't even aware of their existence because they don't fit into the box our culture labels as "valuable." Although I might not have admitted it at the time, I subconsciously believed my value came from my appearance, my athletic ability and my academic performance. I knew, logically, that God's love was unconditional and that I did not have to prove my worth to Him, yet it's a totally different ballgame to actually integrate that truth into the very fabric of my reality and live accordingly.

In the same way I became a sister simply because of his existence, I'm also a proud sister simply because he is my brother.

And, I think this is how God feels about us. He's not so hung up on what we are and are not doing. He just loves us because we exist -- because we are His.

So, Zach, thank you for being my brother. Even though you wrecked the four wheeler into my favorite flagpole I used to love to climb (until it came tumbling down) and let your friends throw up in my bed, I can't imagine life without a little brother.