Choices

Sometimes I want to halt time.

This weekend was one of those times. Life felt so precious that I don't want to move on.

My brother is home for a visit from his work in the Middle East. My whole family hung out at my parent's house for most of the weekend.

 (Jelly bean and toothpick designers.)

(Marshmallow chick catapult)

We spent hours talking, sharing stories, playing games, eating amazing food, and singing.

(My parents)

Ed still gets tired quickly, but he has recovered from surgery enough to enjoy a full weekend like this. A special answer to prayer was that my little nephew Parker is strong enough to join us. He is now free of his feeding tube.

With all the events of the past year, time together as a family has become more precious.

Last night, Ed and I discussed how we may never have a weekend like this again. With Ed's health and my siblings' globe-trotting, it is possible that my family will never again have a long weekend together.

I'm the oldest of nine children. Over the years I've worried about my five brothers and three sisters. How awful if they would choose to walk away from God. What if they chose spouses that weren't committed to following God? When I was about nineteen years old I was horrified to think that the choices I made could affect my younger siblings. I probably had an inflated sense of my own importance, but it didn't hurt me to evaluate my music, activities, and reading material with the thought that I might be influencing my family.

But today my siblings are inspiring me by their choices. They challenge me to put others first and sacrifice personal comfort. They demonstrate the joy of investing in the kingdom of God and laying up treasure in heaven.

I don't know what the future holds for my siblings. I pray that they will continue to share the love of Christ whether here in Pennsylvania, in a refugee tent in the desert, or in remote mountain villages halfway around the world.