I was in Wayside, West Virginia for a few days last week. It is Spring Gobbler season and I always try to get away for a few days to hunt at the farm. I did not stay at our place. We are still cleaning from a furnace problem a few years back. I stayed with my great uncle and aunt.
This is one of the things I love about my dads side of the family. There is a closeness that goes beyond generations. I discovered the reason why this last week. My grandmother was one of 10 children, one of them is the uncle I stayed with. Their family placed a high emphasis on education. I found out that all of them were teachers at some point in their life.
Here is the amazing thing though. Aunt Emma, once she was out of college, helped pay for her next sibling down to go to college. Then once they were out they began helping other siblings pay for college. This family grew up putting a high emphasis on being a family that works together.
The Houchins family, while not perfect (I could tell you some stories), did live with an understanding that they were not individuals. They lived not just for themselves but for each other. If anyone had a need they were there to help each other out. This culture that existed in their home is why they were and are so close to each other.
Look, I know there are other families that are like this, but I do not think it is normal today. Maybe that is why it is so amazing to me.
Here is the thing, this family operated by the same principles that we find in the book of Acts when the early church is described. They had everything in common, there were no needy among them and they met together regularly.
What if we really began to apply these principles to the church? How about your own family?
Maybe we would become what God intended for us to be. Maybe the church would reclaim it's identity. And maybe our families would be transformed into something that would create lasting memories. Churches and families doing life together, what could be better than that?
1 comment:
Your grandfather, who was a part of the family by marriage, also got his college degree by living in the Houchins household and contributing to the common good. In this family, even the extended family was a part of the common contribution. He became a teacher, also, as well as a successful business man. Your great-grandfather had a rule in his house. In a disagreement, if you raised your voice, you lost. Therefore, all disagreements were handled in a civil manner.
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