Family: Is It Everything?

"It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man."   ...Psalm 118:8


******

Late Sunday afternoon our neighbor, Sally, knocked on our backdoor, sun blazing upon it. Her granddaughter was married the day before and now on her honeymoon and her daughter, Sue, would be gone a few days, also.

Sally handed me a piece of paper and said, "Sue is a big-time worrier,"(insert Sally rolling her eyes here), "and she made me promise I'd give you our phone numbers in case of a tornado or if the house blows up with me inside it."

Hee. Sally cracks me up. She's 77 and a feisty little thing.

Next day she returned and handed me a pretty bowl of chili sauce which she'd been canning in her hot kitchen all afternoon. Yum! Then I invited her to watch The Price Is Right with me on Wednesday and to describe the wedding to me. She said that sounds like a good time.

Last week a friend at Facebook wrote, "There is nothing more important nor worthy of our time than our family." 

I'm thinking Sally and I would disagree. 

I mean, what happens when your family leaves town? Goes to college or moves away? Or when they criticize everything from your parenting skills to the color of carpet you chose and your hurt feelings pull you down or you question your decisions? Or they refuse to forgive your eccentricities? Or (heaven forbid) they go and die on you?

In no Bible chapter did Jesus tell us to give our whole heart, soul, mind and strength to family. There are reasons He said only God deserves that--and besides the obvious ones? Only God keeps us balanced, alert to needs of family and non, unshakable and just plain sane. And feeling loved and contented, even if family crawls away in a huff or flies away on vacation or, yes, passes away.

Sally and I are Christians and both agree that only Godly Love will keep us steady upon the balance beam between sanity and losing-it. Only Godly love points our eyes upward to the best Leader, ever, and keeps our emotions under control 

And only Godly Love will grip us tight around the shoulders, even should everybody else stagger all topsy-turvy and fall off this crazily-spinning Earth we now find ourselves living upon in 2015.

******



"Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."  ... Matthew 10:37


"But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person."  ... John 2:24,25

"Now I stand on solid ground, and I will publicly praise the Lord."   ... Psalm 26:12







****

Want a timely example of this? Check out Kathie Lee Gifford's tribute to her husband, Frank. 

I watched this yesterday but am still reeling from the way Kathie Lee 'went for it' while she had the chance to share our wonderful Christian hope. May God bless her richly for that.



*****


Free Kindle Books:


A Hope Revealed

Natural Remedies Using Honey, Apple Cider Vinegar, Etc.



******



"Jesus replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice." ... Luke 8:21