Family!
My mother had a philosophy. She said we have to take care of our neighbor. She always did. She would make meals for neighbors who had a death in the family. She would even let strangers stay in her house who were relatives of the deceased. My Aunt, Sophia, and her were two years apart. They grew up as twins more than sisters. Because they were older, they would take care of younger brothers and sisters in a big Polish family. This nurturing and desire to take care of others transferred to everyone in need as adults. My aunt and my mom were considered second moms with their younger siblings. They were loved and respected by neighbors because of their love for Jesus. I will explain more as we go.
John Michael Talbot wrote a song that was one of my wife’s and my wedding songs:
“Holy Is His Name”
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
And my spirit exalts in God my Savior
For He has looked with mercy on my lowliness
And my name will be forever exalted
For the mighty God has done great things for me
An His mercy will reach from age to age And holy, holy, holy is His name
He has mercy in every generation
He has revealed His power and His glory
He has cast down the mighty in their arrogance
And has lifted up the meek and the lowly
He has come to help His servant Israel
He remembered His promise to our fathers
And holy, holy, holy is His name
And holy, holy, holy is His name
Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home. Home for my mom and aunt was the home of my older aunt. My grandfather had died and there was one big integral family in my older aunt’s home. The household included my grandmother, her older daughter, my aunt with husband and her kids and the younger siblings. My mom and younger sister as young girls would go from Milwaukee to Chicago to help with other aunts and uncles who had new babies and help the mothers with cooking and cleaning. The two sisters would take turns. My grandmother had 9 children over many generations. When my mother and aunt Sophia were younger adults, they would turn their pay checks over to the older aunt who controlled household duties and finances.
This week as I was praying, the Lord impressed upon me how He works through families. When families don’t work together the result is chaos. The same is true of our communities of faith. The same is true of the country or continent that we live.
Both reading today speak of promises and how God keeps His promises and not just to the rich and wealthy but to the meek and lowly. The relationship of families is how they stick together. Our relationship with God is how He moves and keeps His promise to us.
Roman’s 8 talks about how we are children and heirs. We are part of God’s family, and He is part of ours’s. Just like my mom and aunt we need to do things for Him and He will do things for us. We need a relationship to make that family grow. We are family and He needs to be part of the loop. So today focus on the family that God has given you today and also focus on your relationship with Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit. Family can be your next-door neighbor or our neighbor on the other side of the world or your relationship with the Triune God.
God Love You Always
Bob Burford
PS: Please Pray for Cancer victims and their caregivers. Pray for the conversion of Russia and the salvation of the Ukrainian and Russian people and their soldiers. Pray for the Holy Land. Pray for peace!
