Family Reunion!

Our family just celebrated our 40th reunion! My mother is one of ten siblings and her mom, my MamMaw started our family reunion in 1968. She began them and eventually her children took over and so every 10 years one of us has to step up to develop a theme and put the whole shebang together. It is a BIG deal. We have a theme with a backdrop, a coloring contest for the children, a dessert contest for the adults and a silent auction to raise money for the next year. Oh! and a magnet to mark forever on our refrigerators the year of our Ledger Reunion. I have over forty cousins and believe it or not, I know every single one of them and most of their children. Our family has grown like crazy. We are scattered all over Texas but we really try to get back together for the reunion. It accomplished what my grandmother purposed when she started it - we have stayed connected.

It was so much fun in the early days to watch my cousins fall in love and get married. And oh my gosh! when we started having babies - it was insane. There were playpens, highchairs, walkers and diapers everywhere. Now the grandchildren are starting families and we are down to only 5 of the original 10 siblings. My mom couldn't make this reunion - and it was the first of 40 she's missed. I have to admit - it was sobering and a little disconcerting to look across the room and see my aunts minus my mother. Especially considering that we just lost our Daddy.

You can't have a family this big and not have a lot of drama. We've had our share of divorces, marriages, births, deaths and bad decisions. But one thing about family is - you stick together. That's how the family of God is supposed to operate. Every Sunday should be a family reunion. And despite the drama of life, we need to stand by one another. Sometimes we'll cry and sometimes we'll laugh. There will be times we want to yank someone's hair out and other times when we just need to give someone a hand up.

It's all about love. Love binds us together. Love makes us family. Love never fails. Our health does. Our patience does. Our endurance does. But love doesn't. Don't get me wrong. As much fun as our reunions are - we gripe about them up to the moment we walk through the door. But once we start seeing each other.....well, it's worth all the time, expense and trouble. The body of Christ is like that too. Sometimes we just don't want to do it anymore. My MamMaw knew that - that's why she set aside a special day to celebrate family. My Father knew that too - that's why He gave us Sunday.

With the loss of my sweet Daddy and the very poor health of my mom and stepdad, I left the reunion this year so very grateful that no matter what my future holds, I have a family that knows and understands. I am confident our reunions will continue and as elaborate as they are, they are only a faint reflection of the wonder our Heavenly Father has planned for us when we all 'reunion' on streets of gold at a heavenly banquet table. So until that time comes, let's take care of each other. Let's love more and criticize less. Because after all - we're family.