Family

This last week my in-laws came for a visit.  What kind of blog do you anticipate will follow?  I think that so often we lose the value of the impact of family in our lives.  We often focus so much on difficulty and differences that we miss opportunities for impact.  I am reminded of the exhortations to Titus to allow the older men to strengthen younger men and older women teaching younger women.  What a blessing when this can happen in the context of a family as well. 

I for one am so grateful to see the impact that my in-laws (and my parents as well) have on my kids. The way that they are so spoiled is a small price to pay for the investment their grandparents are making in their lives.  If there is no other impact other than to let my kids know that time with them is valued, I believe it is worth the investment.  My kids know that their grandparents want to spend time with them.  This in turn supports the value that my wife and I consistently remind them they are created with.  But there is the joy of knowing that my parents and in-laws share the same values that we do.  We serve the same God together.  This is incredible. 

I could go on and on, but I simply want to give a public thank you.  I want to remind all of us of the incredible value of pouring into and investing in the life of someone else.  Perhaps you cannot do this with your own family for whatever reason.  In this case, find someone younger than you and work to pour into their life.  Listen to them.  Spend time with them.  And in so doing you will be accomplishing something far deeper than you may ever know.  Your investment will have long-lasting rewards!