the struggle to be a functional family

OK, so yesterday I shared a couple thoughts about dysfunctional families, and how Jesus' family tree is anything but spotless... I believe God designed the tree to be flawed on purpose and with a purpose...

perhaps the Creator of All wanted us to understand even more fully that, while Jesus was perfect, He was not unlike us... He was tempted just like us AND had skeletons in His 'lineage closet' just like us... yet He is Messiah.

The thought that Jesus' heritage was flawed is in harmony with other graceful facts we learn throughout His Book...

• He was tempted just like us
• Our salvation is not dependant upon our spotless heritage (or our works)
• God doesn't depend on our 'greatness'; He does great things through flawed people
• Everyone has baggage, and thanks be to God for His divine forgetfulness

One more thought about our families...

While we must understand that even the Savior of all Mankind has genealogical issues, it does not give us license to throw our hands up and give up with regard to making our families the very best they can be...

Family is Safe Haven. When I mentioned how blessed I have been by my family (both as a child and today), I give the credit to God and His Spirit... but it has taken tremendous commitment by many people to make my 'home' a great one.

Momma and Daddy went to great lengths to provide a stress free home for us kids; they made untold sacrifices so that their 4 children could live in a wonderful environment... Kelly and I try very hard to make our home that safe haven...

When I see broken people and broken families and unhappy homes it makes me very sad... and I know there are probably times when that 'breaking' is unavoidable...

But I am convicted about this: we adults (especially daddies) are charged with doing everything humanly possible to make our homes precious places of peace and safety. And with God's guidance, we simply must... there's too much at stake.

When a daddy (or a momma) decides they've 'had enough' and they leave, they are abdicating a central responsibility to God and his family...

So let us allow God's Spirit to guide us while we do everything in our power to make our families 'functional' and our homes the safe haven that God intended...

Blessings!