When Friends and Family is all you need

Everybody needs to be part of a loving family. There are times, for different reasons, when one needs a family.In the book, ‘When All You Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough’, the author tells about a small girl and boy building sand castle on a beach. When they had nearly finished, a big wave reduced it to a heap of wet sand. What was expected of the children was to burst into tears. Instead, they ran up the shore laughing and holding hands, and then sat down to build another castle. This shows us that all the things in this world we spend so much time and energy working on, at any time a wave knocks them down. When that happens, the person that has somebody’s hand to hold will be able to laugh and start over. Most times, we find our selves in the same situation; when the only thing that matters is someone who can lend a shoulder to cry on or lend a hand in any other way. I believe this was God’s plan from the beginning of time. He created us to live in community, small or large. He knew life was too demanding and challenging to live in isolation. This is the role that family plays in our lives. When we need encouragement, comfort, advice, guidance, strength, rest, healing, confidence, self-esteem, security, to mention but a few we turn to family. When we need to celebrate achievements or cry because of failure, we do so among those we trust. When we need a “safe place to fall” after being disappointed, we call upon family and friends. I am trying to talk about a long time friend, a sister, a brother, a mother, a father, a grand parent, a wife or husband. In Movie “The Passion of Christ.”, Jesus was carrying his cross through the streets of Jerusalem when he fell. Looking to his side, he saw his mother standing nearby. At this point in the movie, the viewers are taken back to a happier time in the lives of Mary and Jesus. He was a little boy playing near his mother when he fell. Quickly, his mother runs to him, picks him up and embraces him tenderly in her arms. You can only imagine she wished she could do that after he stumbled carrying that heavy cross, if indeed she was nearby. How much pain can a human heart endure? Mary had to be near the limit as the events of that horrible day unfolded. I wonder if her presence brought Jesus comfort or added more stress to his life, perhaps both. Surely, he would have preferred that she be spared this ordeal, but he knew deep down that she was too loving and responsible to be elsewhere. And now, it was his turn to be responsible, even as he was dying. As Mary’s only child, it was his responsibility to make sure his mother would be taken care of after he was gone. In this same movie, Jesus instructed Mary to look upon John as her son and John to treat Mary as his own mother. There was no doubt Jesus knew John would be good to Mary and provide all she would need. When we need to be loved unconditionally, we rely upon those that care the most about us. Everybody needs to be a part of a loving family, group of people whether many or few that with those one feels life is worth living regardless of how big the problem is. A good friend of mine once told me that I should never tell God how big my problem is instead I should tell my problem how big and great my God is. This is a good thing to do every time you come face to face with a huge problem in life that you think you can’t solve on your own. Tell it, that one, who knew you before you were placed on planet earth and has brought you up safely, is bigger than that problem itself. Someone out there who belongs to my family of humans and believers in the big God say a big AMEN. Ends