Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Family Arrived and Faith in the Future

Monday was a great day. It was the day my family arrived. Then Tuesday got here, and I wasn't near as excited anymore. My dad called my brother and I out to the garage to help him get down at least thirty boxes from the attic. Afterwards, we had to move them all into the house and began unpacking.

All of our boxes piled up in the garage

After lunch, a lengthy trip to Super Walmart, and setting up our internet everyone was pretty exhausted. And thus, some nagging ensued, as well as complaining and arguing.

Sometimes, actually more often than not, my family drives me a little crazy. We argue and complain. It's easy to let ourselves become ungrateful. Even though my family has just arrived, it feels like life is the same as it once was a couple of years ago when we lived in the house before. All the cruel, ugly remains of the past seem to have returned. If the members of my family don't do anything to change our attitudes, resentment and anger are likely to build up in these lives of ours and lead us straight into sin. I've always struggled to convey the way I feel to my parents because they often act as if they don't understand and their personalities clash with my own personality. My hope was that things would have changed and relationships between each of us individuals would be perfect, but this life is messy and nothing seems to work out exactly how we think it will.

However, quite a few bloggers have changed my way of thinking and now more than ever, I want to focus on the small moments. They're what matter most because the small moments build on the bigger events, and those build on the eternal future.

The story of Jesus follows that same pattern. Jesus Christ entered the world as an itty bitty baby and even at a young age, as he meditated on God's word he grew in wisdom and knowledge. He paid for all of my sins and all of yours, as well as everyone else's with one act of love: his death on the cross and resurrection on the third day. His action cleansed us of all of our sins and made us right with God and because we have a right relationship with the God of the universe, he's promised us that we can live with him forever if we choose to declare Jesus the LORD of our lives and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead. (Romans 10:9)

That's the essence of the gospel and the reason why I believe every moment matters. I'm confident of the future I have in Christ, and I don't want to waste the small moments on the way to living forever with my King. Do you?

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. -Hebrews 11:1

2 comments:

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  2. Hi Jessica, How I appreciate your honesty in writing about your frustrations with your family. I could so relate with what you wrote. I clash with my whole family and they don't seem to make any effort to understand me. Your parents do love you so much and want to understand you, although it can be very difficult. I feel your family are angels compared to my crazy, disfunctional family!!! Family relations can be very very difficult. I would give anything to have your family instead of mine!!! :) But this is the family God chose to give me. And someday in heaven we will all love each other with perfect and pure love, that is not tainted by sin and our sinful old nature. I think the best thing about heaven (after seeing the Trinity and our loved one and all the saints) will be having our new heavenly bodies and being free of sin!!!

    You are experiencing the normal family problems that parents and siblings face!!! I will pray for all of you. It must be difficult to be with your family again after being apart for a year. You are definitely not the same young woman they said good bye to a year ago. You have had a year of independent living as a college student. It would be difficult for anyone to live with family again.

    So, hang in there, Jessica!!! I am praying for your family. And so anxious to talk to Robert & Betsy--I always love talking to them so much!!!

    Lots of love in Jesus,

    Nancy

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