Family Reunion

We had a family reunion today. No, not my flesh and blood family. But a family that I've spent the last 26 years with. Much beloved. As we arrived at church, I could sense the excitment and anticipation. Some we had not seen in about a year. And we had not all worshiped together since Good Friday when we gathered at the Potsdam site. Our church has a habit of growing and then dividing. Which is all very good in the eternal sense, but in the temporal, here and now, I get to see you and your children, your grandmother, the university students, every week sense, it's hard. It's just that we miss each other. And today we were excited to see one another. Plus we were all gathering for a picnic after service. The worship was wonderful, encouraging, and sensitive to the movings of the Holy Spirit. Besides, some of the most talented musicians in the country (not boasting here, they are not related to me) were leading. The children participated by doing some memorization about the Gifts of the Spirit. One of the little blond headed girl's projection and ennunciation would make even the strictest theater director proud. Right to the back of the large gymnasium her words resounded. We prayed with people who were having health problems. I looked around at my family here in this little community and was filled with love, pride and memories of so many. No, we are not perfect. Far from it. But we're family and we can count on each other. I see the "girl" who leads the childrens ministry. She was a teenager when I arrived and was leading children's church. She and her brother and future husband, helped me during that time and see.....she's still doing ministry. I saw the children when we arrived at this community all grown up, having their own children and raising the next generation for the Lord. They all know so much more than we did when we were raising our own. There were so many, as I've looked around, who I've prayed with, made dinners for and who have made dinners for me, babysat their children, ministered to while doing Women's Ministry, chatted with, cried with, rejoiced with, organized weddings with, had showers for, developed Dessert Night themes with and encouraged folks to use their talents for,  attended funerals for family members,decorated for holidays with, hired their children to mow our lawns and do odd jobs, been neighbors with, done theater with, planted gardens for and overall just loved on and they have loved me back. I think that is family. And we have it here.