Knowing your family
I’ve just been Twittering with a friend of mine who works with an organization that his dad also works for. He a contract hire so every year he has to wonder if his contract will be renewed and he knows others in the organization are watching; wondering if his contract is being renewed because of his work or because of who his father is. There’s a lot of pressure there. Pressure that shouldn’t exist.
Now one of the things I’ve been blessed with is having a family history that is really good. My grandma was a prayer warrior. After she died, we got to read from her prayer journals and this was a woman who lived a 1,000 miles away but seemed to really know me as she prayed for me. My parents are people I can admire (ok, I’m biased). My mom just makes people feel comfortable and want to speak with her. We say she has the spiritual gift of “Gab”. I’ve watched her checkout at the grocery store and just ask one simple question and the clerk will just lay out her issues before her. In those times, I’ve seen my mother show them the grace of God. I’ve seen my dad run a business using principles in the Bible – undeterred when people said that business had to conducted with a little bit of “under the table” financing or entertainment that wives didn’t need to know about. My dad’s business boomed while others struggled. When he retired, I watched him “work” for our church’s denomination serving in whatever capacity was needed to make sure churches were supported in reaching out to those in their communities. I have a sister who works as a counselor. When 9/11 happened, she was compelled to move to New York and help. Now she works at a counseling center attached to a large church in Georgia. She helps women get through things no human should have to endure. She helps military families deal with the constant deployments. She helps teens re-engage with the life they were meant to live; not the lives their current choices have set them up for. (Check out her blog and podcast to get you really thinking) I know I am really blessed to have these people as my family. While no one is perfect, we celebrate our times together and its a joy to be around them.
I know this American missionary who works in a country where missionaries are not allowed to work. As he was crossing the border, he was taken into custody. They questioned him for several hours. After a lot of different questions, they asked him how he could afford to live in their country when he didn’t have a job there. His answer, “My father is rich!” (He didn’t lie, he was referring to his heavenly Father – God). That explained things to the border guards and he was released.
No matter what kind of family you come from – know that there is a Father who wants you to be a part of His family. The family is not perfect (by any means) but the Father is.
