Have you considered what matters to you the most? Over the years, I have taken an inventory of my life and I have decided that in the midst of all that I do, family matters the most to me.
The ministry to which God has called me expresses my family life experiences. I related in my blog post of August 28, 2014, how our daughter Jo-an, became mentally ill in 1996 and how I took family leave and eventually left my job to care for her. What I did not tell you, is that, my husband Carl, our son Anthony, and our daughter Monique stepped in to support Jo-an. I received help from our son Anthony on Mondays on his day off, from my husband Carl, who took time off from his job to care for Jo-an, and from our daughter Monique who gave me the support I needed. Rese accompanied me to Jo-an’s appointments. Rese would be her caretaker at family events, so we could enjoy ourselves. For the past eighteen years, I have stood strong with the help of God, my immediate family and one or two friends. I have grown to love and appreciate my family members for who they are.
God’s love is the foundation for ministries at home, in communities or abroad. Showing God’s love to family members I believe, is paramount to ministry. As ministers, we become so busy working for God that we ignore our family members. We need a balance, working in ministry and finding time to enjoy our family. When we enjoy family, we are spreading God’s love and building God’s kingdom.
Family matters in times of need. Some of the reasons family members come together include the following: to celebrate an event, during times of illness or death and to coordinate the living situation of an elderly parent. We need to build strong ties with our family while we are healthy, young, and doing the work of the ministry. Family matters in all circumstances.
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