More thoughts---

Day 2 - Family!

 

“But, that I were not born of flesh, such void forlorn, never to refresh.”

 

Scripture teaches that God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son to be born Man, to suffer crucifixion, die and be buried to arise in glory for the Redemption and Salvation of mankind. No greater love has one than to give his life for another.

 

I have been blessed, exceedingly so! By no plan nor scheme nor doing of my own; I confess that I would not know the way to such promise. It is God’s gift, I know not why.

 

But, I shall not defy His will nor suppose that I might have done better without His Grace. Indeed! It is His strength which sees me through. Family brought me to the feast of Goodness and I will not turn from His blessings. Rather, I will thank Him and rejoice.

 

Second to Faith, is Family. From the former comes life, itself; from the latter, belonging. Man fits into Family and is as lost in life without its love as he be in the spiritual without God. My blessing is doubled by virtue from both my father and my mother and all their ancestors. Many, I have known; a number, have since departed. The generosity of these fine Christian families was impressed on me from little on. Un-selfish in their nature, true in their belief, sophisticated in their Faith, generous, these are exemplary people in God.

 

Search out and find the saintly in your children; uncover and celebrate the angelic in your spouse. Love is a gift, a free endowment from an Artesian well, overflowing and never ending; the more you give away, the more love is replenished to bestow even more. It is the Cornucopia of Family, complete, satisfying, accepted and respected, love is.

 

True love is unselfish and unconditional. Any other is evil in its narcissism.

 

It must be freely given, or it is not love, but hatred. And, the secret of love is that it may, indeed, meet all the positive criteria, the effort, the emotion, the intent, and still it is up to the intended recipient to accept the gift. One can love another, without acceptance. Love is true and to be given, it does not require acceptance nor return. Love is free.

 

A family is thought to be blood kin, blood related. And, the family is so. But, family can and does come in many forms. The family of mankind, for example. Family is love; it is the friendship born of helping another out of respect; doing the right thing, merely because it is the Christian way to behave in any given situation. Pure love is true.

 

A Family is tolerant and forgiving, not just of its immediate members, but of the brotherhood of man. This is not to excuse evil either in intent nor in execution; evil is evil, not to be tolerated for any exalted reason, no matter the consequences. Hate the sin, not the sinner. “To err is human, to forgive is divine.” (Alexander Pope)

 

Past,, present, future; then, now, always; Family matters. Amen!