this morning as we were all getting our coffee in the office, getting ready to jump head first into another fantastic day....chit chatting about how our evening was...my friend told me about a touching birthday celebration she had with her whole family last night. she and her husband have 5 grown kids...one is married...one is practically married, and one...was bringing a new boyfriend to meet the family for the first time (imagine that...stress anyone?). all counted there were 10 people in there party. she was telling me about the joy that it brought her to be there with all of her adult children...all happy, healthy, responsible people...all together to honor her on her birthday. as you can imagine they had their share of crazy times...that many kids in one house...who wouldn't? but now, as they are in a different season, she was seeing the return on her and her husbands huge investment. it made me think about our own family. as sharon and i are approaching our 11 year anniversary this weekend, i start to remember the day we decided to have a large family. we dreamed of warm, fun family dinners at our house with all our grown kids and their families...grand kids, the whole shebang. our original inspiration came from the dream and desire to experience what my friend had just experienced with her own kids last night. it made me happy! it reminded me that there is a light at the end of the tunnel...something that we're aiming for. it was a great feeling.
i think that one of the best investments we can make is in our family. working to create a safe, fun, loving exclusivity that makes us special. makes us unique. someplace that we belong, no matter what ever happens or what outside ventures we take a shot at. we will always have a place in our own family. as parents, we may have struggles and storms that we have to navigate through with our kids...but in the end, if we've done it right...we'll have what we've always dreamed of. that nice warm evening when i smile at sharon across from me at the table as we listen to our kids enjoying their siblings and their own families, and we realize that we made it...together.
8 comments:
I love our big family!!
Family is the ONLY investment that matters! It's the only 'treasure' you can take with you when you 'go' and Godly children are also an investment in God's kingdom... an investment with "eternal pay outs!" You guys have chosen your investments well!
This is one of the many things I so respect about you guys. It's such a mature outlook to see past the chaos and sacrifice often required with little (or many, I assume?) kids and towards the big picture of how amazing it is and will continue to be. It shows a lot of selflessness.
beautiful heartfelt words Jeramy
Have I told you how much I love your blog?
You are so inspiring. I love that you put feeling into what you share.
Thank you for this post. Very special.
Nicky
So awesome. Think you might have convinced me to get to work on #2. ;) Have a Happy Happy Anniversary!!
thanks you guys for all your sweet comments! i appreciate it so much!
Happy Anniversary J! You and Sharon are such gifts to our church home and to my family. We love you dearly! Thanks for sharing your heart & soul on this most vital of subjects - family. Having a vision for our children and who they will become is a first and most crucial step. If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time!
Post a Comment