FAMILY----- Some people use that word loosely. They toss it around as an every day word. Families have changed in the last 30 years. Families would often get together on every special occasion, birthdays, weekly dinners, holidays, funerals, times of trouble. When something happened to a family member or a family member needed something, everyone chipped in to help out in any way they could. Family has changed. Some drastically have changed. Now they may not get together for birthdays, maybe one or two holidays, or sometimes none at all. Strings are now attached to helping out, dysfunctional families.. Now people say "You're my family." But do they really know what that word means anymore..... People's lives are very busy now... I get it. We have to take care of ourselves... Let me ask you though.... if a brother or sister calls saying "I need you."...... Do you say... "i'm sorry I can't right now. I'm dealing with this or with that." No, you stop and just listen to your loved one.... If nothing else, you ARE there with them, crying with them, sometimes not even saying anything.. Sometimes a person just needs to have someone on the other line. That helps just to know someone is there..

Family what does that word mean to you? Now for me, I try to model the first family, the one true family God and his Son, Jesus.
God is there, when I am hurting, there when I am happy, there when things are soo bad that I can't even speak. Jesus is there always there, just to know that He is there that is such a comfort... I am part of His family.

I try to be there for my family at all times... no matter what kind of day I've had at work, no matter if a child of mine is sick, I can spare some time for any one of my Family..I hold all MY family dear.... If you are hurting, I make time. I do that for EVERY one of MY family. God is first in my life, family is second, and then me... I know God will take care of ME, so I don't have to worry about myself.

The next time you want to say to someone "you're like family" Remember WHAT that word means to you and also remember that word could mean something entirely different to someone else......