Real Family

I was sitting at home today reflecting on my weekend.  This last weekend I got to spend time with family.  If you know me, you know that I absolutely love spending time with my family.  I love time that I have with all of the 3 men in my life whether it is playing a game, going out to eat, going to a park, or museum, every moment to me is priceless.  I have some pretty awesome guys in my life.  Sometimes it seems that I don’t have enough time with them.  However this weekend I was given a gift of spending time with extended family.  First on Saturday my niece, her husband, and my great nephew came for an overnight stay as they were passing through.  I gave my little nephew his birthday gift that I was so excited to give him.  We walked to the park and spend a little time swinging.  We played cards well into the night.  We laughed so hard and had a great time.  Then on Sunday my dad and mom came for a surprise visit.  Well not a surprise to me but to my husband and my boys.  I was so excited that they were coming that it was so hard to keep it a secret from them for 2 weeks.  They sat beside me during church and I ALWAYS love hearing my mom sing.  Whenever she does it brings a tear to my eye.  I LOVE her voice!  Listening to them both say amen and make a comment now and again about what my husband was preaching was nice to hear.  We then had a really great lunch together around the table, wonderful conversation, and then a little drive.  I loved both days that I had with them all however it was so short.  It seemed that we had just begun having a wonderful time and it was time for it to come to a close.  Yes I think there is no doubt that I LOVE to spend time with my family.

It got me thinking about what the word family actually means.  When we think of family our minds tend to go to those that either live in our home with us or our parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, or nephew.  But I have learned something along the way.  Blood doesn’t always make you family.  Someone that has your same blood, of course is family but maybe by name only.  We can have people in our lives that have been a part of our lives for many years or have been there with us through some very dark times in our lives.  I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to have non blood family in my life and know the unconditional love that was shown.  They were and are as much family to me if not more than some of my own blood family.  God also tells us exactly who our family members are, “Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”  Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers.  Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”  ~ Matthew 12:48-50 (NLT)  Made me start thinking how we as Christians look at one another.  Do we actually look at them as real family members?  Do you get excited when you get to spend time with your family members in Christ?  Do you wait with anticipation when you have a “date” set up to get together?  Does it feel like you don’t have enough time to spend together?  We are supposed to have that same joy we have when seeing our blood relatives when we see our family of God members.  So my challenge to you this week……. Check yourself.  Examine yourself to see if you avoid time together with your family of God or do you seek it out?  I think we all could spend more of our time with our family of God and encourage one another!