BY DAWN REED
Last weekend, our kids came in from Lexington and Indiana to visit and cook out, but especially to go to the cemeteries back home. Our niece, Cassie, joined us. She recently moved from Florida to Virginia. Having always lived away, she hadn’t known where her father had lived, nor his parents, grandparents or great-grandparents.
We moved from grave to grave laying flowers. We reminisced and laughed – right there on the cemetery – telling Cassie stories from the past. My beloved and I were moved to tears at times remembering the love and kindness of so many. When we married at 18, his family took me right in: after a flood, countless times when the gas was frozen, when the roof was ripped off in a storm, plus many good times. I was blessed beyond measure to have them in my life.
After decorating graves, we headed to a family reunion. More reminiscing, more stories, more laughter and lots of good food.
One year back in the early 90s, we loaded up our little family in a minivan with no video games or DVD player and headed to Florida for my beloved’s family reunion.
He is from the south. There was whole catfish fried on the bone, goat on the grill, and a pig tail in the beans. His grandmother was excited to tell him about it. I had never heard of such and assumed that was another term for salt pork or fatback. I hurried to get it before anyone else did.
Taking a large fork to fish it out, I found that “a pig tail in the beans” means just that: a Pig. Tail. In. The. Beans! That thing curled up and filled the whole paper plate. I was speechless. Even now, there are no words to aptly describe it.
My family does not do reunions. We are wrought with dysfunction and scattered far and wide. Yet the Lord has brought people to me who are not kin to be kin. Know what I mean? A church family can become closer than blood family. God’s love binds us together.
The Book of Acts tells of the first church – the first church family: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common,” Acts 2:42-44.
Acts 4:32 reports they were one in heart and mind.
Fellowship is an important part of a church family. Yes, there will be weird ones (namely me) and loud ones, just like in a blood family. It’s still a good place to be. There are dinners and mission projects, but more importantly, hearing from God’s Word and worshipping Him.
A 50-something lady in another state emails me that she is desperately lonely. “Go to church,” I tell her. “You will meet people.” She longs for company, for a sense of connection. “Go to church,” I say again. She is disconnected from the body of Christ. Not a healthy place to be.
We cannot choose our family. You might come from pigtail-in-the-beans people, or your folks may always eat on fine china.
We can choose to be a part of a church family. Let the memories begin.