Time: Make time for family - 23 April 2024

Family – can’t live with them, can’t live without them! Am I correct?

For many people, family is a complicated subject. You cannot choose your family, so you may not necessarily like all of your family members equally. And I am talking now about the bigger picture – family by marriage, related by blood, just the whole lot.

That is probably the norm. Not everyone can like everyone. People have different interests, priorities and opinions about things, so not everyone is always going to get along equally well. Yet, we often long for family because it makes us feel like we fit in. Family can make us feel like we are part of a bigger picture. It is good to know where you come from and good to have shared memories – things only the people in your family know and understand.

I believe it is, therefore, a huge privilege if you have family that you love and family that is involved in your life. Family can provide much needed support and understanding when no one else really will. Family can be a safe place of love, sincere interest and joy.

I believe that this is God’s intention with family – a haven so that you do not have to go through life alone, because shared joy is double joy and a burden is much lighter if someone else helps carry it. In many cases, it is precisely someone in your family who is prepared to help first, when the need arises. It is wonderful if you can find true friends within your family. If you are that lucky, cherish it.

See if you can find time today or sometime this week to reach out to a family member. Good relations with family are not a given and we should never take them for granted. It is also one of those things in life that, like any other relationship, takes time and effort. It is a little plant that needs water and light to grow and develop, and take deep root.

Prayer: Lord, help me to cherish my family and make time for the people in my family who love and care about me. Also, help me to remember that it is a privilege to have a family and that it is not something I should just take for granted. Amen