Family

Today was a fun day, full of immediate family, and my sister's parents in law. It was the family birthday celebration of my two eldest nieces, and while none of the other side of the family could come in the end, or my brother's new girlfriend, it was a good day. Today was spend, as normal for one of these days, with the kids, helping out, playing, keeping things moving while the grandparents on both sides sat and chatted.  

It's always such a funny day- two very different families getting together, with different 'rules', and relationships. My sister, her husband and his family are open, talk, discuss, and want to understand things, whereas on my side, it's much more, well, there's only ever one answer to a question that is ever considered right. Makes for some very interesting discussions, especially when it comes to theology, and discussions about how famiy should be and what the influencing factors are! I love spending time with the 'other' side of the family, and am always so blessed to be invited to their Christmas days. But when both are together, the kids are always a much more fun option:)

Family is a leveller, and divider. You are part of each other, your history and future, and there's the need to work through things, or ignore enough to get through, but at the end of the day, a need to stick together no matter what differences of opinion you might have. John Wimber called the church a family, a hospital, a school, an army. Pretty cool. A challenge too in how we see all of these, and how we react and respond to each. Hm. When I think of church, yes, in my head, it's family first, but hospital and school would encompas more of what I will be doing tomorrow. Interesting.. will have to keep reading the book"The way in is the way on", and see what tomorrow brings!