Family Re-unions
By
Keith L. Anderson, Ph.D
There are places we should be able to go that should bring peace to our hearts. I’m only speculating but ‘The Garden of Eden’ I’m betting was such a place until all hell broke loose. Last time I wrote about the ‘Rat Race’. This week I want to talk about where we should be able to go to get away from the ‘Rat Race’. I believe God provides places to rest and relax. Sometimes we have to open our eyes to find them. Sometimes we have to bust a move to get to them.
Yesterday I returned from a family trip to Northern California. I really had to work hard to go. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see my mother and family. It had more to do with driving six hundred miles in a mini van. Even with people I love, driving so far was not going to be what I call fun. However, my finances aren’t much different than most people these days, so I just had to deal with the situation. Therefore the mini van express was the most economical mode of transportation.
One we arrived, the first thing I had to do was change my attitude. It’s amazing how I allowed finances affect my attitude and consequently my behavior. It took a lot of inner thought and prayer, but I got over the money issue. Another problem was one of my relatives. I wasn’t looking forward to dealing with her. For a while I allowed the thought of her to dim the potential of having fun. Bad blood between blood relatives is never easy. So, I had to deal with it as best as I could. Afterwards, I called a friend back here in Idaho. He allowed me to vent. From that moment the rest and relaxation began to take place.
My youngest sister put together an impromptu family reunion, in a very nice park with giant trees shading our area. I was able to see, hug and speak with relatives I hadn’t seen in decades. My mom and her sisters were in the same place at the same time. My sons were able to meet cousins they’d never met before. The food was plentiful and down-home amazing. We played dominoes, remembered the old days. Stevie Wonder’s song with the lyrics, “I wish those days could come back again once more” came to mind. Those few hours made the trip worthwhile.
When I had some alone time with my mom, she reminded me how my relationship with God is mine. What she meant was my relationship with God had always been, do what I felt was right, ask God to stop me if it wasn’t. I accomplished a lot in those days. I always felt God was there watching over me. I have to stop what I’m doing now, which is praying and then just waiting around for God to do something for me. My relationship with God has never worked that way. Being around my Mama and my family reminded me of this. Everyone there had the same blood running through them as I did. I was a part of something important. There’s nothing like knowing you belong.
God created our church family to give us the same feeling of belonging. He didn’t mean for us to exclude anyone. He knew if we were doing the work Christ set before us, we’d need a place to rest. Just like in blood families, in our church family, we also have to deal with family members who are difficult people. Still, the overall attitude of the church family is to live in our common bond, which is the blood of Christ. That means, within the blood of Christ, we should be able to overcome anything and be able to rest, relax and have the assurance of His blessings.
Being in the mist of love will give us energy. The love can come from relatives or church families. Jesus was once at a party and some of His own Disciples didn’t like the company He was keeping. From the point of view of some of His Disciples, Jesus was laughing and having fun with the wrong kind of people. Think about the nerve of the Disciples. How could anything be wrong when the Son of God is laughing and having fun? Having said that, we must realize people in modern times and churches will act the same way. People with sour attitudes can find a reason to be against the sun shining in the morning. The next day they’ll complain about the rain. There’s just no satisfying some people. Those are the people who are constantly in the Pastor’s ear. I totally feel for Pastors. They can’t win, for losin’. They have to deal with party poopers on a daily basis. They complain that the sermon was too long. The choir doesn’t sing the right kind of songs. The sermon was too convicting. The Pastor asks for money too much. Why does brother so-n-so get to lead the Joy Class? Why does Sister Susie Cream-cheese have to wear such short dresses? None of these complains have anything to do with moving the cause of Christ forward.
Shouldn’t the sanctuary and the congregation, for that matter be a place where the Pastor can rest? Church members are the very people the Pastor loves and wants to see in Paradise someday. Instead some congregation members act like the person who can’t swim. Even though the lifeguard is trying to save them, out of fear they swing, grab and beat the lifeguard, putting them both in danger of drowning. It’s an amazing phenomenon. Some churches have replaced the office water-cooler, as far as gossip goes, with the Pastor as the easiest and most constant target.
Maybe we all need to try a little church family re-union. The price for admission should be a smile on your face and love in your heart. Play a little dominoes, eat some barbecue ribs, potatoe-salad, tell a few stories about the olden days. Then look around and feel blessed that you’re in the family of God.