A Perfect Family

A dream has come true!
Who of us doesn't dream of being in a perfect family, where there is harmony, where we love one another, where the children honor the parents, and the parents do not provoke their children to wrath? Alas, I think all my life I have dreamed of creating and re-creating the perfect family. In my family of origin, the family life began to be disturbed with my Dad being conscripted into II World War into the German Army. From there, our family of six, had a rough ride through the war and postwar experiences from 1939 to 1950. That year we arrived in Chicago, Ill. 1953, the year my mother died, I was 17 and entering into my last year of high school. It was also the year I accepted Christ as my personal Saviour. And here, in little Belmont Gospel Church, I experienced a special kind of "family". You see, as a child, seeing what I saw, I ended up as love starved, insecure, and lonely, but with a deep desire to help and do something to alleviate the hurt and destruction in this world. So, Jesus became my anchor that I clung to for dear life. I went to His Word for comfort and strength. Life continued and I got married, have 3 grown up children, 1 son in law and 1 daughter in law, 4 grandchildren, and we are a family. However, one thing is guaranteed, that life brings many changes. One major change that started over 2 years ago is that my husband Al developed leukemia.
So, a few weeks ago our daughter asked her Dad for a blessing. The Holy Spirit prompted me to plan a small get away and invited all of our children, in laws and 4 grandchildren for a celebration of 5 birthdays and a day of blessings. Everyone came and we had a wonderful time. We were eating things the family likes, (except for Dad who can't eat regular foods) went swimming, and then the last day had a time with Dad. As head of the family,he spoke to each one individually of the things he appreciated about that person, gave them a scripture verse for them to live by, and said a prayer over that person. The Kleenex box was passed around liberally. The grandchildren all had one verse and were allowed to go and play part of the time in the next room. They returned and we all gathered around Al and our son prayed on behalf of all of us. Al's appreciation was expressed so eloquently by a simple, "I feel so loved". This was my dream of a perfect family. It was really just a moment in time that came closest to being perfect among the many imperfect family times,however, one day, we all will join that perfect family with Christ. We already have a perfect heavenly Father who is interceding for each of us, and I for one will never cease to mirror or recreate that perfect image that Christ has placed into each of our hearts until I reach that place where my perfect home exists!