6.10.2008

The deal with family

So the post on family has gotten some pretty interesting responses. Keep em coming. Thats what this is all about. You guys have a voice.

So what is the deal with all this family talk? Well, I have been in Youth Ministry going on 5 years now and I have seen one common thread throughout all the churches I have visited, worked at, studied, and spoken at. The churches that grow, that impact their world, that truly love people, are truly family.

Family is so much more than a word. It is a unity, a closeness, an openness that allows people to talk about how they feel, hold each other up, and hold each other accountable.

I love my wife. She is the most amazing and brilliant woman I have ever known. She is my best friend. We can share deep feelings, we support each other above all else, and we keep each other pointed in the right direction (she is REALLY good at that). Thats really what family is all about.

Another aspect of family is people. Every family has one thing in common. People. That means one thing. Families are never perfect. As much as I love my wife, I still fight selfishness and we still have our bad days. Sometimes we fight, but we always, always, work to heal our relationship.

Our youth group is made up of a lot of people. We will never be perfect, but we should always, always, work to keep our relationships strong. Sometimes that means doing hard things, but it always involves love.

Bottom line, the rest of the world will know we are Christians by our love. Not only for the lost, for those who don't know Christ, but for each other. So family is this. That we do not consider ourselves greater than everyone else, but consider others needs as more important than our own. That is giving, that is selfless, that is love, and that is family.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

thanks jermiah lots of things have cleared up now but still...ithink we need some work not you for the most part its just some people are not showing the love

Anonymous said...

i have a wierd family background. my mom wasn't in a relationship whe she wanted to have a kid so she went to the doctor to get pregnant. i grew up without a father figure. don't get me wrong, my mom made up for it, but i still had trouble. i had to take my uncle with me every year to "doughnuts with dad" at school and it made me feel awful. (i actually faked sick one year to get out of it) i knew that i shouldn't feel bad, but i still dreamed that i would meet my real father... and i did. when we were singing marvelous light in church recently (the line "i once was fatherless, a stranger with no hope. but Your kindness wakened me from my sleep") it hit me right in the head that the person i had been looking for all my life had been right there calling me, God. i would go on but i don't want people to know who i am. i dont really know why, but i felt driven to share this (even though it is really hard to push publish) i hope this helps someone.

Jeremullet said...

Wow, thats a great testimony! I am proud of you for sharing that. I know that will help a lot of people...you pretty much rock!

Anonymous said...

Thanks Jeremiah, it helps that someone understands even though they don't know who you are. the story on sundy about how you would hold Ella and tell her it would be ok really made me sad, but in a good way. i wanted to cry because i didnt have someone who could be an earthly father to me, but i know that God is there. it is hard not having a father to hold you physically, but it'll make it that much sweeter whn my heavenly father does. thanks again Jeremiah.

Jeremullet said...

I have to tell you that I am really impressed by you. It takes a lot of guts to write what you have. You are a huge encouragement to me!