I believe God is in charge of putting every family together. That’s just the natural outcome of believing he’s also in charge of creating every life. He has a specific plan for who should live with whom, and sometimes he has to go to great lengths to gather specific family members together.
In our case, he set up a sibling group of two girls followed by one boy. Mary, Tom, and I knew that no matter what happened, our folks would always love us. Being confident of this was a blessing we only fully appreciated when we became parents ourselves.
As happens to most families, we each went off to college and then into marriages, and our together-times as siblings became characterized by the crowds of children that followed. But yesterday the three of us spent a day together as siblings, tracing our shared childhoods in a meaningful trip down Memory Lane.
We recorded our reminiscences as we went along (should any of our younger relatives be inclined to listen) and even learned a few new things about each other. What a delightful day it was!
As we wove a path through Chicago’s streets and into the suburbs, we stopped at each of our childhood homes, along with favorite old hang-outs and the houses of friends.
We visited our old schools, kindergarten through high school, and though security said no to our requests to wander the halls, we did coax the high school guard to take our picture in a hallway that had changed very little since the 1960’s when we attended there.
As for looking back and remembering, I think God is all for it. Reminiscing, I believe, is one of the purposes of his written Word. He frequently prompted the children of Israel to remember what he’d done, in an effort to convince them he would continue to do wonders in their lives if they would only trust him.
The same goes for us. He wants us to look back, especially when times are tough, recalling how he worked on our behalf in the past. From that we gain confidence in his continued efforts in the future. Just as he encouraged then, he will always encourage. Just as he strengthened then, he will always strengthen. Just as he provided then, he will always provide.
Those are comforting thoughts during these days of uncertainty for Mary (and thus for the rest of us). No matter the details, God’s encouragement, strength, and provision will always be present.
Mary, Tom, and I ended our time together yesterday with a meal at The Corner Bakery, purposing to travel through “Part Two” of our histories (colleges, early apartments, newlywed days) on another day. There are more memories to uncover and more blessings to recall.
Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way… (Deuteronomy 8:2)
Praising and Praying with Mary
- Please pray for safe travel tomorrow as our entire family gathers in Arkansas for Thanksgiving, at daughter Julia’s home.
- Pray for each family member as we all try to adjust to this uncertain time. May each of us learn to count blessings every day, no matter what.
