When I sat to write on the subject of family, I thought elegant prose would flow freely from my fingertips. Instead, there is a delay, a pregnant pause of sorts. I am deeply disturbed by this hesitation to flow on a subject that is so meaningful to me.
When I think of my immediate household, my immediate family brings a smile to may face. I chuckle when I visualize a picture of us thinking, “Wow, that sure is a lot of people”. There are seven of us, my husband, our five children and myself. Never did I imagine having such a large family. They are quite entertaining and the source of endless laughs as my husband and I sit back and observe them interacting with one another. Even now as I type in the wee hours of the morning, the 3 boys are already up, playing with Legos, going on wild Star Wars adventures.
I think of my dad who is one of my best buddies. He is not only father but also friend.
I think of my closest girlfriends who are not merely friends but are family. I treasure these relationships and thank God for the extension of family.
A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24
And I can’t leave out my in-laws with whom I felt instantly connected.
But there’s a deep gnawing, a raw pain that also comes when I think of family. I miss my sisters who are hundreds of miles away. I long to be knit closer to them in distance and tied closer in heart. I miss my aunts and older cousins some of whom are hundreds or thousands of miles away. And then there’s that place that carved out little niche, that empty space labeled MOM. A space nobody but Jesus can fill since this gal’s mamma has long since passed away. This void that cries out with a hollow echo. This place that has been patched over, stuffed then excavated again. This space I thought was mended but is still quite fractured.
FAMILY.
The thought of family brings joy. The thought of family brings tears. I give thanks for ties that bind. I pray my children will always remain close to each other. I see myself growing old and gray with my sweetie, my husband. We know that family is close to the heart of God as He Himself came to earth through the context of family. I pray for love, joy, peace and unity in families across the globe. Thank you Lord for the sacred institution of family.
[bctt tweet=”Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1″]
What immediately comes to mind when you thinking of family?
As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!
Happy to connect with Five Minute Friday & #DanceWithJesus on the topic of Family
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Tyra, I LOVE this post. I’m returning from a college reunion with my 90&91 year old parents in the car. And wanna move HOME. To simpler times and closer families ties. Hugs. Susan
As such Susan I am reminded to savor the moments with my little people. There is always so much to DO but I pray I keep focus on people not projects. Thanking God for the long life he’s blessed your parents with. What a gift.
I love your last paragraph especially. I too am so thankful for all my families…the one I was born into, the one I married in to, and the one I helped create when hubs and I had our own children. I am now loving the expanding sense of family as we added a son-in-law this year, and we gained his family too. Lovely post! Visiting from FMF today.
Family is such a BIG word, isn’t it. It stirs up a lot in us and it’s so fun to see how everyone approached it at #FMF today. So happy to meet you here in this sweet family of writers. Blessings!
Your post is lovely and emotionally packed. How blessed you are with your husband and children, I also know the pain of having lost a mother too soon. There is always a gap here, but we are graced as Christians to know that someday the gap will be filled and our families will be complete with Christ. Thank you for sharing your beautiful words.
God Bless You!