FAMILY

FAMiLY indeed a precious word, for those of us who are blessed with a loving one.  Not that all families don't have issues, mine included.  However, each one is unique and designed by God, mine included! I am partial to mine of course, with all their quirks, hang-ups and positive points.  My earthly dad is no longer with us, going on five years now.  Dad had a fun sense of humor, and was a big to tease, yet struggled all his life with insecurity and inadequacy.  It was a rough time for him growing up with a super demanding father, yet he overcame to be a loving dad to my brother and me, making sure he spent time with us, on bike trips, vacations and long walks. He loved God deeply, even in, and through, his doubts.  To the end of his days the Bible was open on his lap, his prayer notebook was ragged and torn at the edges from constant use. After a long illness, he passed on peacefully to be with the perfect father who loved and knew him before the foundation of the world.

Mom is nearly 87 and going strong.  Slowing down a bit and gets exasperated when I try to take the role of mother instead of daughter!  A hard working woman all her wife, faithful to my dad to the end, going where he went, loving him through trials, lost jobs, moves and hardships.  She held the family together with a strong personality, determination and patience.  Not overly affectionate in her manner, but shows love through those actions that speak louder than words.  Her love for God is evident to all who know her and, now that dads gone, has taken up his prayer notebook representing those people, organizations and loved ones before the throne of God. Faithful, committed, intelligent.  I remember when, in her 50s, (which seemed so old to me at the time) she took a computer class to learn how to use these new-fangled machines and got an A, I was impressed! Not many in her generation not only finished college, but went on to get her master’s in library science.  My parents taught us the value of education, and I thank them for pushing me to get mine.  I also learned the importance of commitment (church doors open, there we were!) and keeping one's word.  FAITH- COMMITMENT-RESPONSIBILITY- EDUCATION are values they taught and reflected in every day life.  My mother the librarian and my father an avid book reader, made sure we had plenty of books around and to this day I enjoy reading a good book. At times in my childhood I wished I had a stay at home mom. I was envious of my friends who had a mom at home and plenty of home cooking when they got home from school.  I understood later on that due to her constancy in jobs, the family’s needs were always met.

After seven years of marriage my parent’s fears they would never become pregnant, my one and only favorite brother, Paul came along.  He was big meanie to me when we were kids.  He delighted in making fun of me, even sitting on my chest and plummeting his little sister.  I was mortified when his friends mimicked me saying, "Paul, daddyyys heeereeee!" amid their quaffs.  However, I also have great memories of playing with his GI Joe soldier figures, Christmases with his model train set and riding our bikes to the pool on sweltering summer days in the Ohio valley.  I thought I hated this big brother of mine, until he went away to a boarding school, and lo and behold, I missed him. Turns out my “enemy” is my friend.  Before I left for the mission field this enemy-turned-friend took me out to dinner and apologized for the mean things he did to me when we were kids.  I love him anyway because he's my brother, but so much more as my brother in Christ, mentor and example of a godly man.

About twenty eight years ago this friend married and brought into our family a new friend and the sister I never had, Heather.  When he called me to tell me he was in love, I was a bit than skeptical. He had after all dated several ladies over the years. I soon came to realize this was for real and fell in love her also. She has the gentle and quiet spirit of a woman who fears the Lord.  As a faithful prayer warrior, God gives her the strength and courage to deal with patients who have terminal illnesses. Though she and Paul originally planned serving the Lord overseas in a Norths African country, God gave them filed ripe for harvest in Brooklyn. 

A year into their marriage, their first son and my nephew David was born. I met him when he was three months old and it was thrill to hold that little baby boy on my lap.  When I was going through a difficult time in my life, I found joy in seeing him grow, taking his first steps and saying his first words.  Now, a strapping young man of nearly 28, we are proud of his commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ and his desire to become a pastor, returning to Brooklyn when he graduates to serve the church community that shaped him.

Two years later, a second son, Daniel was born.  Danny, like his pop-pop, developed that sense of humor and love of life.  He also inherited the brains and is working on his PHD, also desiring to serve God now and in the future.

Living out of the country, I missed the growing up years of these boys. Yet I thank God for them and am so proud of what they are becoming, counting it a privilege to be called auntie.

That’s it, for now anyway! We wait to see what young ladies will grab the hearts of Dan and David, adding nieces to my family. As much as I love them, I thank our loving Heavenly Father for the much bigger family of faith.  When I can’t be with my flesh and blood family, it’s the spiritual family that sees me through.  Family teaches me what it is to be part of God’s family where there is neither male, nor female, Greek, nor Hebrew, slave nor free or black or white. He loves each of His children unconditionally and forever.  When our earthly family lets us down, as it will. Papa God is there to hold us tight and see us through.  Thank you dear Father, for families.

“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:14-19