Family.  That is the word that seemed to come to mind when I read Numbers 26:23-65 and Luke 1:57-80 today.

 
I am a blessed girl when it comes to family.  I have three older brothers whom I adore.  They have given me three godly sister-in-laws, two nieces, and five nephews.  I believe one of the things that I am most proud of between all eighteen of us is that we all have accepted Christ as our personal Savior and will all be together in heaven one day. Praise You, Jesus!!
 
When I married Tim I gained another wonderful brother.  He has given me another precious sister-in-law and two more nieces.  Sweetness!

 
These family members have only scratched the surface.  This doesn’t even include all the fabulous step-brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews. Whew!  Check out this family picture of my mom and step-dad’s family portrait:

Now that’s one busy Christmas gathering.
Now, do I see or communicate with all my family members each week?  It’s sad to say, but no.  Between the four of us siblings we live in two different states.  And with the kids and their schedules, life gets busy.  But I feel pretty confident that if I needed anything, my brothers would be there for me in a heartbeat.
I’m sure many of us go through stages in life when we feel like some of our friends are closer to and know us better than some of our own family members. Agree?  And that’s great!  But there was a saying that someone once told me when I was in a situation.  She said, “Blood is thicker than water”, meaning that your friends may come and go, but family is family.  In retrospection I wish I would have taken to her advice, but my stubborn self kept things the way they were.
I mentioned above how we siblings may have a lack of communication between us. Communication plays an incredibly important role in any relationship in life.  I admire the relationship my mother-in-law has with her brothers and sisters.  They seem to talk almost daily, and sometimes more than once.  And my friend’s, Theresa, lines of communication with her family members are open often.  They email each other weekly to keep up with one another.  I’m thinking that tonight is a good night to start sending my family an update on The Shuff Crew.
Let’s think about this biblically for a minute.  We are God’s children.  We are His family.  

• Ephesians 1:5, “And before the world was made, God decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ. This was what God wanted, and it pleased him to do it.”  

If we only chat with God through prayer when we want something or when we feel like it, that affects our relationship with God.  The more you talk to or spend time with someone the closer you become with one another.  God cherishes the relationship with you.  Don’t put Him off and only check-in with Him every now and then.  Chat with God like my mother-in-law does with her siblings…daily.

• 1 Chronicles 16:11, “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek His face always.”

Please don’t allow the busyness of life get in your way with your relationship with God.  Make Him the first priority in your life.
I’m ready to stop letting the busyness of life get in the way of communicating with my siblings.  I’ve gotta go so I can keep them updated. 
Blessings to you.

March 25 Numbers 26:23-65 Luke 1:57-80 Psalm 37:14-20 Proverbs 8:34-36