Saturday, January 17, 2009

Funerals, Family, Future.......

Today I attended yet another funeral. This one was for my Uncle Tommy, my mother's brother. As we all gathered at the funeral home this morning, I thought about the fact that I'd not seen my cousins, Tommy's children in over 35 years. Many of my other cousins I didn't even know! Our families today are so disjointed and scattered. I long to contact all my extended family and just say hello, but in all honesty, I don't know where many of them are. Most are in Georgia, as am I, but where?

How much richness are we missing by not gathering at least once a year to say hello, bring each other up to date on our lives and reminisce about those that have gone on home.

Why is it that we are willing to go to anything but a family reunion? Why do we shun each other? We are family, we are of the same bloodline, we should treasure that relationship. But....we don't.

This brings to mind how like our relationship with God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit is like our relationship with our extended earthly family. We shun God until we need something. We need help with money, health problems or job issues.

Our relationship with God cannot grow with out communication. We must go to the Father daily in prayer. Not as a ritual, but as a touching of home base, much like the toddler that needs to run back to touch mommy's hand in reasurance. God is not a good luck charm, a rabbit's foot to be brought out in times of trial to rub and then put back in your pocket when the trial is over. Why do we expect Him to be there when we need Him, when we are not there when He needs us.

God needs us? Yes! He needs our love, freely given, our time, freely given, our devotion, freely given. He needs us to study His word, to learn of Him and His ways. He needs us to desire Him and crave constant contact with Him.

Like our relationship with our families, our relationship with God requires work. Forgiveness, tolerence, patience and most of all our attention. How is your relationship with your extended family? Do you see them regularly? Do you call to say hello, send a card at Christmas, maybe even a birthday card? Is your relationship with your earthly family an example of your relationship with the Father? Would you like to change it?

Changing your relationship with your earthly family is more than likely going to be more difficult than changing your relationship with God. Your earthly family doesn't have the heart and mind of God. They have a long memory, they know you warts and all. God, on the other hand, has a short memory when asked to forgive. He knows you warts and all and can see past the warts to the beauty inside. He is waiting for you to call, there are no long distance charges, you won't use your cell minutes, just call His name and like the songs says, He'll be there.