All In The Family

I just spent the last four days in Gatlinburg with “the family.” Steve and I have never spent a week with my Mother, Aunt, both sisters and their husbands, and Aiden. We also got to spend a little while with both daughters and their boyfriends – uh, I mean a boyfriend and a husband! We had all gathered for David and Dianne’s wedding last Tuesday. It was such a wonderful affair!

There are several things that stand out in my mind. First, so many came! Some traveled hundreds of miles, but “love” caused them to want to be there – well, that and the fact that it was held in Gatlinburg! lol! Second, we enjoyed being together! We ate together, laughed together, and even rode the chairlift up the side of the mountain together! But most important, we also attended worship services on Wednesday night at the Gatlinburg Church of Christ – how special is that?

I was so glad that Aiden got to spend time with “the family.” Usually, he only sees them at Christmas, but now, he not only knows their names – he knows them and they know him! It’s important to “know” your family.

In the same way, it’s important that we know our “church family.” We need to know more than their names. We need to say more than, “How are you today?” to which “Fine,” is the usual reply. I go to the back with Steve on Sunday mornings to “shake hands.” You’d think that there is a race going on with some folks, who can’t wait to get out of the door. Why? How can we get to know each other if we don’t stay around long enough to even talk to someone. And we do need to KNOW each other. We are to encourage each other, instruct each other, and pray for one another. It’s important that we know each other in order to pray for the right thing. James said, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16)

Family – a group of people who share certain characteristics. Thank you, Lord, for our physical and our spiritual families! God Bless, Courtney