What does it mean to be a family?

     For many United Methodist clergy families, we deal with the question of what it means to be a family sometimes at a great distance from our blood kin. After the death of my father Howard McAdams on October 1, 2010 and then the fire at the parsonage on December 29th soon after that, I have really come to appreciate how much I love my family, even though we are separated by the miles. For me this week, being an Aunt to my nephew Ronnie Lee McAdams meant driving from Boone to Granville-Vance Community College yesterday to see him graduate from Basic Law Enforcement Training.  His dad Ronnie has recently been in the hospital with a head injury that required surgery and is doing well recovering from that. When my nephew called on Monday to tell me he had passed his state exam, I was thrilled! It is an honor to have a close relationship with my six neices and nephews who keep up with me, and I with them through emails and text messages and facebook. When my neice Callie recently ran in a full marathan, what a huge celebration. When my brother Ronnie took a fall, that would require surgery, what a shock and the prayers for him to make it through began from our whole church family at Deerfield UMC. When my son got sworn in as a law enforcement officer while he trains at Surry Community College, what a great sense of pride. When Stuart, my nephew learned that he would not graduate and have to take a nursing course at UNC Chapel Hill over again for the fall semester, my heart went out to him with disappointment and love and support. I am so glad he held  his course to stay on track and keep pressing on for the fall semester. I hoped he would have supportive people around him to help him figure out a new plan, and he has, and thanks be to God for their help.
    So being a family after the death of both of my parents is a challenge for me and my siblings to try to figure out how to continue to see each other and keep up with what is going on with our families. We want to keep the tie that binds us together strong. When all of us work full time and the sisters live a distance away, we face the same challenges that many of you may face. What binds a family together through the hard times, is the love of Christ that is enduring. Being willing to serve each other in a time of need is something I honor about my brothers and sisters and have taken for granted more times than I have remembered to be thankful. Now in our family mix, throw in two full time United Methodist pastors and three police officers, just to start the list of busy people who work hard and still love each other. I live with a regular family, and we face regular challenges, sickness, pitfalls and dysfunctions like everyone else. What it means to be a family for me is continually shaped by the way my parents raised me to honor them, even though they have already gone on to be with the Lord.  The way our parents raised their five kids in church and to live by the 10 commandments still makes a difference in the way I love my siblings.  It honors the memory of our parents for our family to love each other, to make an effort to stay connected, and to bring honor to Christ no matter where we live. This past Sunday in preaching from the 23rd Psalm, we were reminded that the Lord leads us in paths of righteousness for his names sake. When we love, and serve and give, and for me right now- to drive a lot of miles to stay connected,  people can see that what motivates us is the real deal, the love of Christ, and that truly does bring honor to his name. I am counting it a blessing to know the strength of the love of a strong family.  I pray for every family circle represented by you the reader, that God's hand of love will be your strength this day for you and your entire family. We pray God will strengthen each family, bring down walls, shower us with endurance and patience, and give us courage to risk loving each other more by the day. Oh, how we want to honor Christ in our home. Lord, let it be so.