Family Web

Family is one of God's greatest inventions. Sometimes they can be annoying, sometimes we get mad at them. But when we have family, we are never alone. Family forms a web of support, binding each other together with many links so that if one strand breaks, the rest is still intact. If one member falls, there are many to lift them up.

We are getting ready to celebrate my grandmother's 80th birthday, and once again I am reminded of how important family is. In a few days I will go and spend the day with people that I don't actually see that often, people that have jobs and lives and homes and even other relatives somewhere else. Yet I trust each of these people completely, and I know that they love me. I know that if I need anything, help or advice, I can go to them without hesitation because they are family, and that is what family does.

I grew up strong because of my family. The particulars of how I was raised, forms of discipline, school selection and family rituals like Christmas-tree decorating aren't important. What is important is that my parents were there, my sisters were there for me, and they still are. I knew that whenever I had a hard day, I could come home to family, and that hasn't changed. I knew that when something bad happened, I would find sympathy at home. I knew that as long as I did my best, my parents were proud no matter what the result of my effort, and that in itself gives me the courage to try.

Knowing that someone cares for you is the strongest force in the world. It helps you get out of bed in the morning, helps you face failure, helps give you something to strive for. I want my family to know that I am ok. I take better care of myself because I know they worry about me. When getting ready to drive back to college, a four-hour trip, I would get a little sick of hearing everyone say "Drive safe!" Yet it was important that they said it, because I knew they meant it. Now I do it to my sister, and I pray for every hour she's on the road between Jopplin and Normal. At the end of the road, I would be so tired and not want to call Mom and Dad and say, "Arrived alive." Yet I cannot imagine how terribly lonely it must be to have no one to call, no one waiting on the other end who will check in if you don't call on time.

I have always been blessed with family, and I know that family is one of the greatest sources of strength in my life. Even if they aren't present, just knowing that they exist is a help. I know, however, that far too many people do not have family. They might have relatives, but there is no web, no deep bond of love that binds them together, no sense of security and help, no person waiting for the call at the end of a long trip.

Part of our responsibility as lovers of Jesus is to make family. Do you know anyone who is alone? Invite them in. Make them part of your family. Give them the web of support, a place full of warm fuzzies and people that, even if they don't know them that well, they know they can trust. This is what the church is supposed to be. Sometimes the church lives up to the task, and sometimes it doesn't. Never rely on the church to do the work, make sure that it happens yourself. Because family isn't about blood, family is about relationships. No one can survive alone. We need each other.