Tag Archives: family

We are Family

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Well! It has been a busy week and weekend with lots of things happening! I have been working long hours at my new job… settling in to the routine there. We moved my brother and his family to a new place this weekend, and said goodbye to church friends moving far away. In addition to all the outside things happening in our little world, our little farm has been growing too… sort of. I think one of my hens is turning into a rooster. We were told 98% guarantee that our birds were girls. Not so sure now. We may have fallen into the 2%. Time will tell if we have to change Mavis’s name to Morris.

What do you think of Mavis compared to her “sister”?

Not to mention the kids will be back from summer jobs and heading back to school next week! Where did the summer go?! I must admit, I did miss them. My grocery bill won’t be happy about it, but my heart will be. (Don’t tell them I told you I missed them!) All in all, my week has been all about relationships and the dynamics of “group”. And so, I muse.

“Heritage is something that belongs to us by reason of birth. It is the history of a family. Where a family came from and all of the traditions, customs and more have been passed down from generation to generation make up a family’s heritage.”

I got thinking about that dynamic. Family. Do we really bond only because of birth… or is it shared experiences? Grouping by commonality. My flock of chickens are not sisters, yet they certainly have group dynamics and drama and customs and well… function like a little “family”. Especially if one turns out to be a rooster ! Her…er, his… role will be protector and provider.

What about our church family? Traditions and heritage are certainly part of that group. We bonded with our church friends and will miss them when they are gone away because we have shared spiritual lessons and have learned together. Family dynamics.

“Family dynamics refer to the patterns of interactions among relatives, their roles and relationships, and the various factors that shape their interactions. Because family member rely on each other for emotional, physical, and economic support, they are one of the primary resources of security or stress.”

Workplace drama? Security, stress and economic support. That sounds like co-workers. I don’t know. I certainly am not a sociologist. I certainly don’t understand the psychology of any type of group dynamics. Yet, I know they exist. I know they are a big part of my life — and a big part of yours. God designed it that way. He provided a way for us to co-exist. And if one group of people don’t work for you, another might be the one that does.

Photo by fauxels on Pexels.com

Did we make the trek to the city to help my brother simply because he’s my brother? Partially, yes. We should be able to count on family… because they are family. Still, you and I both know that life doesn’t always work out as we plan. Sometimes friends “stick closer than a brother”. God gave us those fall backs too. He knew life was gonna get messy. We are going to need somebody ! And they don’t always have to share your DNA.

Like usual, I have no real finite lesson to draw here. I have nothing new to teach you about relationships. I simply know that they “are”. And I was thinking about them this week and how they all work out to grow and shape and mold us. I’ll be glad when the kids come home. If for no other reason that I can make them do work around here. Just kidding. They’re family.

We Are Family

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Welcome back to another week of my brain spewing out random thoughts and sharing tidbits of my (otherwise) boring life. This month was a big one for my little crew… we’ve been celebrating a few momentous birthdays recently, and my parents just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary! Which is no light task, lemme tell you! Their actual anniversary was earlier this month, but this past weekend was the grand celebration! Of course, post-Covid, we were trying to be sensitive to the fact it was a rather large gathering of people, in an indoor space, and many were of the senior persuasion. All red flags. Still, we figured such a milestone must be celebrated… so we went ahead… and ordered two (yes two) large slab cakes.

It was a wonderful party. Many people made appearances, including some old friends and distant relatives who travelled in. It was certainly nice to make connections again. Some were masked, others were not… but it didn’t seem to matter. What seemed to matter, was legacy, longevity and well, a recognition of what a true milestone fifty years of marriage really is! Which, of course, had me musing!

What kinds of legacies do we leave those around us? What do our accomplishments tell people about what is important in our lives? Do our children see strong family values presented? Do friends and family gather because they love us or simply out of duty or guilt for how it may look to others? How much cake do you really need anyway?

God loves families. He certainly knows we are not perfect. Yet, He designed us to be part of family units from the get-go. He created man and woman… and then children and siblings and mothers-in-law. He allowed Jesus to come to earth, born of a woman, into a family to grow, to be nurtured, to be taught and to be part of a bigger group of connected people. I would like to think that His little band of disciples became like “family” too. Bound together by a common bond. We talk about “church families”, “small groups” and “brothers and sisters in Christ”. We were created to have relationships with one another. To mentor the younger ones, to pass on wisdom and encouragement. I have learned so many things from others.

Saturday, at the party, we laughed about who looks like who and who has so-and-so’s personality. Have you ever been to a family reunion where you just “can tell” that cousins are cousins? I wonder if Jesus looked a little like His brothers? Did He have His mother’s eyes? He certainly had His Father’s will in mind. And it’s true what they say… you can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family. It picks you. And you are stuck with it.

God doesn’t make mistakes, though. He knew who belongs where and why. Don’t get me wrong, relationships are hard. And a close relationship is even harder. There is some vulnerability we must face when we are with the family. Perhaps you were taught, like Timothy, by a faith-filled grandmother. Perhaps you have been shunned by your family because of your faith, and your church has become your new family in Christ. The Bible has lots of examples about the good -and the bad- of relationships via relatives. I’m not going to list them, but it might make for an interesting study one day!

No matter where you feel you stand among those who share some part of your DNA, remember this: God placed you there for a purpose. You have something to learn from these people. It may be blatantly evident, or it may take time to discover. Hug them a little closer. Share cake with them. Share some of our cake with them… We have lots leftover!