Family

21 years ago my father died suddenly of a heart attack and 12 years ago I lost a brother the same way. 4 years ago to the day the judge signed the papers dissolving my marriage and two years ago my mother died of ovarian cancer. There was one constant through each of these tragedies - I was always surrounded by family.

My biological family have always been close. Growing up our friends at church would just refer to us as "the Wheeler boys," but the family I am referring to is my spiritual family - my brothers and sisters in Christ. I had just moved to a new church the day before my father died. The elders told me to go and take as much time as I needed to help my family and cope with the grieving process. When I returned my "new family" rallied around me and made me feel at home.

When my brother passed away, doing mission work in Costa Rica, the church collected the funds to send me to San Jose to help with the arrangements there. When my marriage failed, it was my Christian family who rescued me from heartache and despair and when I lost my mom they comforted me like no one else could.

Today my family all live in and around Spring Hill, Tennessee. They are a special group of people - like none I have ever known. They pray with me, cry with me and rejoice with me. They rally around my children, hold up my hands when I am weak and challenge me when apathy overtakes me.

I have seen some dark days and battled some personal demons in my life (probably no more than the next guy), but I couldn't have made it this far without my Christian family. I don't know how some people make it through life without a Father to comfort them, an elder brother to watch over them and a multitude to carry their burdens when they are weak.

I am proud of my family name - Christian. Like any family we have a few characters, some who struggle and a few hoary heads to impart to us wisdom along the way. Sometimes we fuss, but mostly we just love one another - for love covers a multitude of sin.

www.coffeehousestudies.com