“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT)
My two oldest grandchildren and I celebrate birthdays within days of each other. We recently got together with the whole family to celebrate with good food and even better birthday cake. My sister had sent me a DVD that she had recently converted off old VHS tapes from my dad’s camera. We all gathered to watch – and laugh at the old hairstyles and clothing.
My children enjoyed seeing pictures of our family growing up. And the grandchildren were delighted to see their mom and uncle as little kids. It brought back a lot of beautiful memories for me and the grandkids were able to make connections with the people and places that came before them.
There is a broken branch in this family tree. But that doesn’t mean the tree is not growing and thriving. It only means that there is a branch missing that we need to continue to pray for. There may be a broken branch in your own family tree. But you are still a family and always will be a family. No circumstances or difficulties or words will ever change that.
Your prayers and unconditional love can help that broken branch to mend. Every prayer sent to heaven is leading the one you pray for back to God. Those prayers can direct their hearts and guide their steps. Those prayers are a lighthouse for your mom or dad, showing them the way out of the darkness. Those prayers matter.
There is another family to which you belong that also prays for your family. That is the family of Christ. He tells us in Romans 14:4-6 (NLT) – For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.
One of the things I really enjoy about my church community is how everybody looks out for everybody else. Your prayers are their prayers; your concerns are their concerns. And no matter where we are in life, what circumstances surround us, we are each an important part of Christ’s church family.
Being a part of the church, part of your spiritual family, is a comfort and strength for you. During this season in life, it is even more essential that you continue your relationship with this family. There you can find wise guidance, open hearts, helping hands, comforting hugs. If your church has a youth fellowship, I encourage you to join and be an active part of it. Your service for the Lord makes Jesus smile. But more importantly, it encourages you to always have hope, to persevere in prayer, to continue to show unconditional love. Your church family can be a rock for you in this unstable time. Let them.
All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27 (NLT)
God bless
A Stander in Nebraska
