Thursday, January 25
Celebrating Family
Narrative Lectionary Daily Devotions written by Kace Leetch from Clergy Stuff.
Today we are celebrating family! The psalmist says that people who fear the Lord will have lots of kids, "like olive shoots around your table." To the psalmist, lots of kids are a blessing, a reward for righteous living.
I come from a small family. Growing up it was just me, my sister, mom, and dad. Grandma and Gramps lived 6 hours away, so we saw them usually on Thanksgiving. Our household was quiet and calm. Dinnertime in my teens was the best because the four of us sat at the dinner table and talked about our day. I remember lots of laughter at those meals. Whether a "family" is big or small, the connections that we make (at dinner, or whenever) shape us.
My nuclear family now is also small, just me, my spouse, and my three kids. But we have a really big extended family. On any given night, we will have from 3 to 15 teens hanging out. And they will even sit down at the dinner table with us. Like the dinners from my childhood, our dinners now are full of laughter, light, fun, and connection.
We also recently added to our family by welcoming in a foster baby. Fostering is something I have wanted to do for 20 years, but was never in a position to do it. Now I am, and we brought our little person into our home two weeks ago. And they are like a little miracle. They can't sit at the dinner table, of course, but they sure do bring laughter, light, fun, and connection. It's amazing to watch the interactions between the multitude of teens and this tiny little human. We are certainly one, big, weird, eclectic, happy family.
Everyone has family. Some are related by blood. Others come to us through work, school, church, community activities, and neighborhoods. Still others are brought through circumstances that are less than ideal. However your "family" has been formed, celebrate your family today. If you don't already do dinnertime at the table, plan for one. Invite all the members of your extended family, and enjoy the laughter, connection, and love.
Narrative Lectionary Text: Psalm 128:3-4
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
Thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the Lord.