#It's A #Family #Affair

How far would you travel to see your children? All my children are adults, and I am the type of mom who has taught them to be independent thinkers, work hard for what they desire in life and put the Lord Jesus first in everything they do. It had been two years since our family had come together as one face to face. Yes, we had seen each other on FaceTime and texted each other weekly. But when the COVID-19 Pandemic entered our land, and senior members of our extended family members began to suffer from health issues, we all decided it was time to come together as a family. And lastly, when I heard a specific sound in the voice of one of our daughters, that she wanted to see her mom and the family, you know as a mom it was time to move regardless of a Pandemic. Family is everything, and the love of a family is more stronger than any pandemic and far-reaching.

However, this would be no easy task to meet up in one place since we all lived in different states. One of the children lives in Colorado, another in North Carolina, and the last in Nebraska with my husband and I. Hmm, one of my daughters could only get the weekend off from work. The other one had a distance restriction for traveling placed upon her from her job due to the Pandemic.

I must admit I was not keen on traveling outside of our state due to the Pandemic, and I had counted this year for traveling was all canceled. But when I heard a particular sound in the voice of one of my daughter when she said, "Mom, I need to see you and my family." At that point, I knew it didn't matter about the Pandemic, time, distance, or previous plans, her dad and I dropped everything. Our daughter from Colorado flew into Nebraska, and the next day, we all drove halfway through the country to meet with her in Kentucky. Early Saturday morning, we drove the whole day and arrived at our destination on Saturday evening. We planned to make it a one day trip, and on Sunday, we would turn around and travel back home to Nebraska.

When we all saw each other, we were so happy and thankful to God that He had given us traveling mercies. We had a family dinner together in our hotel room. We talked and laughed and just looked at each other. After dinner, our young adults FaceTime their grandparents together. And their beloved grandma has an extraordinary way to sing the "Happy Birthday" song. She sang it to our daughter for her birthday. Our daughter, who is a military member, will be going overseas soon. She wanted to see her family before she left. It was just what she needed and what we needed.

Because their dad is a pastor, we had our family Holy Communion ceremony in the hotel room on Sunday morning. The Holy Spirit came in the place, and we worshipped the Lord God together. We prayed, and we cried. We held on to each other. The time passed too quickly before we knew it it was time to check out of our rooms and drive back to our separate destinations.

My love for my family and the distances to which their father and I drove to see them face to face reminds me of how God loves us and the greater lengths He did for us to save us that we may have eternal life. As John 3:16 says, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. And whosoever believes on Him shall have eternal life. Jesus left His royalties and riches in Heaven to be one of us and died on the Cross for our sins and rose again on the third day. He paid the debt for all humanity's sins. Jesus is our bridge back to God, The Father. Even if there were one person who needed saving, Jesus would have come for the one as He demonstrated through the parable of the ninety-nine sheep. The love of God remains the same for us today, and the way of salvation is the same. If no one told you lately, you are loved, and you are special to Him and me. The Lord is The Good Shepherd, and He loves His sheep. We are His sheep. He will lead and guide us through our unsettling times. I pray you have peace of mind and the love of Christ overshadow you and sustain you with His strength. Grace and Mercy.

Read Luke 15:1-7:

1 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.

2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying,

4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Read Romans 5:12-21

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.