FAMILY REUNION

Ezekiel 10:1-11:25; Hebrews 6:1-20; Psalm 105:16-36; Proverbs 27:1-2

“When the people return to their homeland, they will remove every trace of their vile images and detestable idols. And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God.”

“So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding.”

“Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring. Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth—a stranger, not your own lips.”

This weekend, I have been blessed to be a part of the first ever designated reunion of my wife’s family. It’s not that we have been alienated, or distanced, for a long time. Some of the kids have spread out and found new jobs in other states, to be sure. Historically, though, special reunions were simply unnecessary because the whole family just gathered routinely at Granddaddy’s lake place. Granddaddy is gone now and so is that place, and the family has been separated by the inevitable forces of age and opportunity. Thus, after several years, a reunion seemed appropriate. We truly enjoy each others’ company, and we miss seeing each others’ kids grow and celebrate the accomplishments of life. It is a good and right thing to take time to catch up with those we love.

And yet, …it is a tad melancholy at the same time, because time does change things, and certain memories can never be fully recaptured. Not to sound like an old fogey, but I recall clearly holding my oldest nephew in the palms of both hands with room left over. I remember my 2 year old niece after I gently corrected her responding clearly and unequivocally, “I have a different feeling about that!” I also remember her Dad telling her she would have a different feeling if she talked back like that again, and I remember trying very hard not to laugh out loud at the whole exchange. I remember teaching each of the grandkids, including my own kids, how to water ski and tube through the “death spiral” under the watchful eyes of their sometimes justifiably worried mothers. And I have fond memories of watching the whole gang grow up into fine young men and women anticipating the start of families of their own. (Two nieces are now pregnant!) Coming from parents who were both only children, I never had a tribe to call my own until I met my wife. I love my family very much. But being in the middle of this clan has been a truly beautiful experience beyond anything my family has been able to share. In a strange way, I really do feel I have two families now, and that’s a very good thing.

I think, probably, that this is something like heaven will be. Surrounded by those we love in a beautiful place outdoors with no pressure to be anything other than who we are, we will finally be able to rest and relax in the security of the very embodiment of Love. We will be surrounded by new life, fond shared memories and all kinds of exciting new potential. All our needs and desires will be provided for, and we will finally be safe and secure. I’ll be the first to say I am not in any hurry to get to Heaven. But when I do get there, I will certainly be looking forward to the best family reunion ever.