There's Nothing like....FAMILY!

A new commandment I give to you...
that you love one another ...(John 13:34)

It's been a whirlwind few weeks readers and I've found it incredibly hard to sit and post all that is going on in my life and in the world!  But as we grow closer to what I consider one of the most sacred days on the calendar (Mother's Day) I just had to make time to share a few words! Let me begin with...THANK YOU GOD FOR MOTHERS!  Especially so, because they are who make FAMILIES possible!

As you can tell I'm still a bit euphoric over a weekend that I spent with my own wonderful family! We had a mini-family reunion in Memphis a few days ago and although it was an unusual time for such, it was perfect for us!  Kith and Kin traveled from as far as California and everywhere in between.  We came from Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, and even the deep southern state of Mississippi.  It was wonderful to get re-acquainted with all the nieces and nephews that I rarely see and catch up with the going on's in their lives  To put names with now grown up faces and their children.  We even had a new baby to coo over!

The weather was warm which was a blessing since our gathering took place in a beautiful outdoor setting surrounded by lakes.  A great way to enjoy God's beauty and welcome Spring with flowers and greenery of the new season!  It really made me appreciate all the things that we take for granted and among these is the gift of family!  I don't know where you are in your sentiments about that.  Truly, I understand that families can bring their own share of pain and chaos.  But let me remind you.....You would not be who you are today if not for the nurturing and care of FAMILY!

Now think about that!  Your mind may automatically go to people who are your blood relatives.  Those you share some genetic material.  But that's not necessarily true! A family can be anyone you have a personal connection with and has been with you during important experiences in your life.  Someone who has seen you through good and hard times!  A person who accepts you and loves you unconditionally.  One that you can depend on to stick by you even though your differences and perspectives are vastly different!

I'm blessed to have eclectic family units!  Yes, there's my blood relatives, but I have family at my local Y.M.C.A. where I exercise, laugh, and pray with three times a week.  I have good friends that I see only occasionally but stay in touch with by telephone, text, or card but if needed would drop everything to come to my rescue! And of course I have my Forever Family, my church family!

That term Forever Family, is most often used in conjunction with foster parenting and adoption!  But  God gave me a Forever Family, the moment, I accepted Christ as my Savior! (Ephesians 1:15)  This is a bond that goes so much deeper than DNA, friendship, and fellowship circles.  It positions me eternally in a family that grows larger day by day, has no ethnic or cultural boundaries and when meeting a fellow saint,  I find an instant Holy Spirit Love connection!

My Forever Family, like my biological family comes in different sizes, skin tones, and manifest a variety of personalities. Some I can abide and others take a little more effort... but they're still family!   There is a family resemblance that cannot be missed!  Although imperfect, at our best we look and act just like our big Brother Jesus and our Father! (I John 3:2-3).

Forgiveness is a key trait of family!  At my family reunion I was saddened to hear that certain  relatives felt disconnected and abandoned by our family!  Circumstances in their lives separated us for many years!  But by the end of the weekend together, I truly believe we bridged some of those gap years and we all left a little closer to one another.  We now have an opportunity to start fresh! That's what families do! We become resilient over time!

Mother's Day is only a few days away.  It's a time that can invoke good or bad memories!  It can be a time of joy or sadness depending on the experiences you have had!  But I truly believe if you try very, very hard you will find that someone, (blood or not) took you in; loved you, invested time in you, encouraged you when you were at your lowest and treated you like family!  Celebrate them!!  

ENJOY THE LOVE OF FAMILY WHEREVER YOU MAY FIND IT

...There's Nothing Quite Like IT

UNTIL NEXT TIME...


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