The Joy of Family

My wife and I were able to take a mini vacation to see our daughter. We left early in the morning so that we could spend more time with her. We were able to get a place that had a stove, microwave, and enough beds for all three of us. Sunday was a blessing as it has been a while since the three of us have been able to worship together. Well, that and the fact that I could be fed on God’s word and not have to focus on preparing it. After that, the three of us were able to explore stores and touristy things, but the greatest was to get out into God’s creation and enjoy the beauty as we did some hiking and exploring. In the evening, we played some games and just enjoyed some fellowship. Sadly, I was using my phone to search different topics, but now I wished I had just turned the phone off. I missed out of some of the fellowship because I was searching for answers instead of appreciating the gift God was giving us. To say that fellowship wasn’t important would be an understatement. Why don’t we long for that same fellowship in the church? So often, the church is made up of a lot of individuals that gather for an hour and then they are gone. We should be gathering together for fellowship at church and out of church. Maybe it would be to gather for a meal or picnic. Make it a potluck so one person isn’t stuck doing everything. Gather together to study God’s word. Find a study at a Christian bookstore and invite people to meet together, alternating people's homes. Maybe find someone that will join you in a ministry outreach - handing out tracks, food pantries, visiting shut-ins and people in nursing homes, etc. Don’t have worship as your only community event. When you are done with worship, pick someone new (that you don’t know as well) and see if you can visit a little and find ways to pray and encourage them. If something happened to my son (and his wife) or my daughter, there is nothing I wouldn’t do to help. Do we have that same drive and passion for our own church family? When someone doesn’t show up for a few weeks, why aren’t people calling to see if they are ok? Do you just pray for friends and those that are sick, or are you lifting up each member... maybe not all at once. God’s people are our family and should be treated that way. Father, just Your name indicates family relationship. Help us not to be hypocrites by denying our brothers and sisters. Amen