After taking Jacqueline and her family to the airport Tuesday, Monieca and I drove to Kentucky to spend several days with our family. Thursday we learned that Monieca’s niece, Andrea, is pregnant with her first child. Friday night we gathered to celebrate my mom’s 75th birthday. Sunday morning after worshiping at our home church, we stood on the banks of the Kentucky River as my niece’s husband, Byron, was baptized. We also spoke a few times with Jacqueline in Italy and sent both pictures and video back and forth. It was a full and meaningful time with family.

Over the years I’ve learned that maintaining healthy relationships with one’s extended family adds a lot of joy to life. I’ve also learned that it’s not always easy. It requires intentional effort, time, forgiveness, patience, sacrifice… But isn’t that a good description of love?

Unfortunately too many people allow their relationships with their extended family to suffer. They get busy and don’t make time for them. They allow disappointments and grievances to fester, refusing to turn the other cheek. The reasons may be many, but the results are the same: lost relationships and less love.

I know time marches on and we all go in a lot of different directions. I also know that family is family and we should go the extra mile to maintain those relationships.

Pastor Steve Hogg