Honoring Marriage and Family and Love (even when you don't want to........)

"Love does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong......" (from 1 Corinthians 13).
During this past year I have celebrated a 50th birthday and a 25th wedding anniversary and it got me reflecting on life. I thought some of those hard seasons, and there were many.......being home with little kids instead of focusing on a career, times of loneliness and isolation, sickness, death, loss, realizing that I will never be completely fulfilled in THIS life. Everyone who has ever been married or had children to raise has had days where it just sounds good to run away. Forever. Start over. Just be responsible for me, no one else.

But then you stay. And thank God for the sense he gave me (you) to stay put. And then there are those milestone days where you look around at your family and thank God for each of them. And all their imperfections. And the way they love me, in spite of my imperfections. It's really quite beautiful.

Last night I went to the hospital to see my niece, Rachel, who had been in a bad car accident earlier that morning. So many people in my extended family were there. We haven't all agreed on everything over the years, sometimes even had arguments or held grudges or just haven't loved each other well. But in a time of crisis, we're all there. Hugging each other. Loving each other. Supporting each other. That's what families do. It's beautiful.

I just pray that if anyone out there is thinking of abandoning it all, think again. And again. And ask God to somehow, some way give you the strength to hang in there. One more day. One more week. One more year. Soon you will be celebrating the milestone markers and thanking God for these quirky, wonderful people who do life with you.